Danny Phantom and the Red Spectre
by toboeokami
Summary: Danny comes to find that he and Vlad aren't the only halfa's in existance. When Vlad finds out too, he starts altering his old plans and making new ones. The Halfa in question must make discoveries about herself and her species. More adult than the cartoon. Eventual Vlad/OC. Not pompous pep
1. Chapter 1 Life Changing

_Disclaimer: I only own Isabelle Alexander. Other than that, the characters are only twisted into my own web of thought._

Chapter 1: Origins

oOo

One of the lab scientists took her blood pressure, while the other two filled six syringes with a green liquid. Because the lights in the lab were bright, the neon glow of the serum was hardly noticable... unless you knew what you were looking at.

Twenty something year old Senior Airman Isabelle Alexander was the thirteenth test subject in this department. She knew that she was free to stop the test at any time. She didn't know how dangerous the test actually was. She knew that if the test was successful, she might be the first to expierence the way of the future for the military. She didn't know that the previous twelve subjects had died. The latest one, in a matter of seconds.

The Guys in White were good at keeping things on a need-to-know basis. So Isabelle went into the laboratory for a test that she believed the worst case scenario would be, if she failed, she would be sick for a few days. That's what she had been led to believe.

"Please lie back on the table." The one that had been taking her blood pressure said.

Isabelle did just that, and as soon as she had settled with her arms and legs straight, the other two appeared on either side of her, and behan strapping her to the table. She had seen the restraints when she walked in, but she didn't think they would use them.

They wiped a brown disinfectant over the areas where they would be making the injections, while the first made a prick on her fingertip for a drop of her blood. The scientist let the blood soak into the strip before she took it over to a machine.

The two males grabbed and dragged a rolling cart over to the table and began injecting the ominous glowing green serum into Isabelle's bloodstream. Her heatrate could be heard thanks to the beeping moniter she was hooked up to. Her heart was beating a little fast, but it was nothing to be worried about. She was a little nervous.

Agents K and O watched from the elevated observing platform, behind a two way mirror.

"Five minutes have passed and subject's vitials show no change." The female scientist spoke into her audio recorder. Then to Isabelle she asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Just nervous. Otherwise no different." She repllied dutifully. Though as soon as the words had left her mouth, she expierenced a cold chill, and let out a shaky breath.

It went unnoticed by all the scientists who had gone back to tinkering with their equipment. But in the observation room, Agents K and O's eyes narrowed behind their sunglasses... that they were wearing indoors with the lights out for some reason.

One of the monitors Isabelle was hooked up to started to beep slowly. Not alarmingly. The female scientist was the only one to move, as she lifted her recorder back to her mouth. "Seven minutes into the test, and subject's internal temperature has begun to drop slowly."

"Is that normal?" Isabelle asked as she shivered again. Her breath begining to appear in the air.

Before anyone could answer, the monitor that had been beeping, began to speed up as her internal temperature began to drop rapidly. In response to that, her heartrate began to increase in an attempt to warm her back up.

Isabelle would have screamed in pain, but she was in shock at the sudden change in temperature. When she could finally catch her breath, the air was freezing by the time it reached her lungs. It was painful to breathe, so screaming wouldn't have been worth the effort.

When her heart started to hurt, she tried to grab her chest, only to be reminded of her restraints. That was when she started to panic, struggling against the straps as the pain got worse. The two male scientists responded to this by walking over, and holding down her arms and legs.

"...Help... me.." She managed to whisper before her eyes rolled back and the heart monitor flat-lined.

Agent O sighed heavily as the doctor began to set up his defibrillator. "There goes another."

oOo

_"Get those straps off her."_ She heard a voice say. It was low and echoed. She could hear movement around her but her body felt numb. She opened her eyes to a world of fuzzy tracers. She couldn't seem to focus on anything.

_"Clear!"_ The voice said. It was followed by a short hum and a loud crack. The crack was accompanied by a bright flast of light from all directions. That's when she realized it.

_I'm dead._ She thought.

_"Clear!"_ The voice said again, but this time when the crack came, it was followed by an extra beep on the monitor.

_NO!_ She thought in a panic. _Don't let me die!_

oOo

"Clear!" The doctor said, before shocking her with the chest paddles again. Every muscle in her body contracted at once, nearly lifting her off the table for a second, before she collapsed again.

This time, the heart monitor continued to beep steadily. Everyone silently held their breath for a minute, expecting her heart to stop again like all twelve previous subjects. When her heart continued to pump, everyone stood in silence, not believing what had just happened.

Once again, the female scientist was the first to move or say anything, as she lifted her recorder to her lips again. "S-subjects heart... stopped for a moment as with all previous tests. Resuscitation was successful."

The two male scientists grinned at each other, then whooped and gave each other high-fives. While Agents K and O silently smirked at each other.

Though alive, Isabelle was still unconscious, and so, oblivious to the celebration. Though even if she had been awake, she wouldn't have known what they were all so excited about.

oOo

Isabelle later awoke to the obnoxious beeping of her heart monitor. She was in her own room in the hospital located within the building. She had had to stay overnight in one of the rooms for observation before they had determined she would make a good test subject. She got up to go to the bathroom, but became light headed and short of breath after only two steps. She sank to the floor and caught her breath, now realizing that she felt as weak as a kitten.

After a few minutes of sitting alone in the dark, she heard noises. She placed her ear to the cold floor tile and discovered that they were voices. To her surprise, she could make out what they were saying. It was two men, arguing over a football game. She could hear the television as well.

Still too weak to stand, Isabelle managed to prop herself up on her hands and knees, and crawled to the bathroom, where she used the doorjam to help her stand up. She reached her hand over to turn on the lights, glancing at her reflection in the dark as she did.

Before the lights even came on, she screamed.

oOo

_Authors Note: It is a short opening chapter. I expect the other chapters to be longer than this. _


	2. Chapter 2 Back to School

_Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter._

This chapter takes place about a year after the first chapter.

Chapter 2: Secret Agent Ghost

oOo

"Well here's you schedule." The secretary said quickly. "When you go out those doors, take a left and then a right at the top the stairs." And with that, went back into her own world, leaving Isabelle to find the classroom on her own.

Being back in high school would be a weird expierence for most adults. Isabelle was no exception for this. Immediately she was worried about how she looked, if her clothes would be stylish and if she would still be sitting at the nerds table for lunch.

The last part didn't bother her so much...

The Principal was the same as any she had ever seen. Enthusiastic to meet the new student. Emphasizing more than once that "this school is a fine establishment". Claiming to know all the children by name. Then explaining to her that she had some free time before her class started.

"I suggest you use it to find your classroom."

With that, she was shoed out of the office. They might have been irritated that she had interrupted their lunch break to show up for class.

_Didn't even _think_ that I might not be a teen._ Isabelle thought a bit smugly. A small grin appeared on her face. _This is going to be too easy._ When she reached the top of the stairs an alarm went off, echoing through the halls. Voices were soon followed by a crowd of kids heading to class, and she immediately went to confront them.

"Do you know where I can find Mr. Lancer's class?" She asked repeatedly. Not really caring to look at who she was asking. After a few people answering negativly, she got one positive.

"Yeah, we're headed there now." Said a voice. She looked up to see a group of guys wearing letter jackets and girls wearing school colored uniforms. "Why don't you come with us?" One of the girls added.

_Great._ She thought remembering her own high school expierence. _Jocks and their cheerleaders._ She forced a smile and followed them. _Well... they can't be too bad._

When they found out she was a new student, conversation was found. As they walked, the girls asked questions animatedly. Wanting to know things like where she was from and why she moved. The guys wanted to know if she liked sports. She recited the answers that she was supposed to, and everyone didn't have any reason to believe otherwise. They seemed to hit it off okay, but Isabelle could tell when they became disinterested in her. She didn't mind. It was kind of funny to see how uncomfortable they already were around her.

"Here we are." Someone said, and suddenly everyone quickly entered the room and found their seats leaving her to figure the rest out on her own.

She walked up to who she assumed was the teacher. She confirmed this when he stood up revealing a large gut. _Yep, there's the miserable teacher who hates his job._ She handed him her schedule. "I'm new." She said simply.

Mr. Lancer glanced over her schedule to confim that she had arrived at the right class, then pointed to an empty seat in the back. "You can sit there, between Mr. Fenton and Ms. Grey."

Isabelle walked to the back and took her seat between the boy and girl. Once she was seated and had her feet set comfortable in the basket beneath the desk in front of her, she finally relaxed. Sighing lightly.

_I'm back._ She thought as she looked around the classroom at the motivational posters, maps and diagrams that covered the walls. The students were either sitting down and chatting while they waited for class to start, or still getting their things situated.

Isabelle almost jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice next to her ask, "So you're new?"

Her eyes snapped over to 'Ms. Grey'. She was a young girl. Couldn't have been more than fifteen. "Yeah," She said nervously.

"My, name's Valerie." She extended a hand to Isabelle, who after a second accepted it.

"My name is Isabelle... But you can call me Izzy." She added, then mentally kicked herself. She'd meant to make herself seem more kidlike, but realized too late that it might sound dorky. But Valerie didn't seem to notice or care.

"How do you like Amity Park?"

"It's nice. More sun than I'm used to."

"Why did you move here? If you don't mind my asking."

"No, it's fine. My dad got laid off and then found a new job here." She recited.

"That's too bad." Valerie said sympathetically. Then added, "But you moved here knowing about the ghosts?"

Isabelle had been expecting this, but not from the students. She had been trained to react for this though, and feigned ignorance. "What ghosts?"

"You're kidding me?" Valerie said. "The town's crawing with them. They scare people and cause trouble."

"...ghosts?" Isabelle asked, disbelief written clearly on her face.

"You don't believe me? Ask anyone."

Isabelle actually _did_ believe in ghosts. In fact, she knew a lot about what was going on in Amity Park. She was just curious about what the citizens knew.

"Psst. Danny!" Valerie called to the boy on her right. "Tell..." Her eyes flicked back to Isabelle for a second before refocusing on Danny. "Belle here, all about the spooks in this town."

Isabelle ddn't correct her or have time to as Danny spoke. "Uhh, sure." Isabelle turned to see a young boy with bright blue eyes. "Yeah, ghosts pop up all the time-"

"Mr. Fenton, class has started." The teachers angry voice called from the front.

"Later." Danny whispered when Mr. Lancer turned back around.

oOo

Since Danny was so eager to talk to her, he would be more than happy to show her around the school the rest of the day. Or at least that was Mr. Lancer's logic. Isabelle didn't like how it was a punishment that someone should spend time with her. But she sat with him and his friends at lunch anyway. And that's where he continued his rant from earlier.

"...Sometimes they even come in the school." He said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you saw one before the week is out." Danny's friend said. HIs name was Tucker.

'He's a technogeek.' Sam had said when Danny was introducing them. Tucker had gotten angry at that.

'Hey, I take that into offense!"

Isabelle had laughed, remembering all too well how she had taken insults and stereotypes through school. 'Don't.' She had told him. 'If it's who you are, it should come as a compliment.'

"I wouldn't be surprised if you saw one before the _day_ is out." Sam replied.

_Good._ Isabelle thought. _I'm dying to test out my skills on a real target._

Valerie Grey appeared and sat down on her other side. "Hey Belle. And sorry about that. You can change it back if you want."

"Not to be rude but can we help you?" Sam asked.

Tucker laguhed nervously. "Wh-what she means is... Hey Valerie."

"No it's fine. I kinda like it." I told her.

"Hi... Valerie." Danny said a slightly airy voice. Isabelle saw Sam's demeanor darken, and immediately felt for the girl. Isabelle had never been goth, but she had a feeling Sam would be a little like her at that age.

On the way back to class, Danny mentioned that his parents were ghost hunters. She already knew this of course, but they didn't know she knew. Which is why Sam gave her a funny look when her only reaction was to nod slightly. Isabelle didn't notice this, but she did notice Sam's watchful eye the rest of the day.

Valerie didn't walk back to class with her but she was waiting at her seat. They resumed their conversation. Pretty soon the bell rang, and she said goodbye to everyone and walked back to her temporary appartment where her "parents" were waiting. She was just out of sight from the school when something strange happened.

Her chest started to feel warm. Not burning, but hot. Then, she exhaled and smoke came out of her mouth and nostrils. The thing that worried her the most, was when her eyes glowed red in response.

_What is this?_ She wondered, looking around to see if anyone was around incase she accidentally exposed herself. She was alone. _Is this a new power or something?_

She didn't have time to worry about it though. Because at that moment, the ghost kid known as Danny Phantom tumbled over a building, having been shot down by something. Isabelle reacted by leaping behind a parked car and peering out at the kid.

"Great." She heard him groan as he got up. "And here we were having a quiet week." His back was to her, so when twin red rings appeared around her hips before seperating, he didn't see the flash of red light when she transformed into her ghostly half. Her eyes turned red, and her canine teeth grew longer and sharper, turning into fangs. She loved her fangs. Whenever she was in this form she grinned like the Cheshire cat whenever possible.

Her wavy brown hair combusted into dark red flames while her clothes were replaced with a red and black jumpsuit with black boots and gloves. She peeked out from behind the car again, and was about to step out when a second specter appeared. She had seen his file before but couldn't put a name to it, or remember much about him for that matter.

_Damn._ She cursed._ That's what I get for glossing over paperwork._

"Aren't you going to make a crack about my dad?" Danny asked. "What are you up to this time Plasmius?"

"That's none of your business, boy." Plasmius replied.

They were so preoccupied arguing with each other that they didn't notice the newcomer. So Isabelle had a clear shot at both. She lifted both hands, palms out and released one of her stronger ectoblasts.

_A.N.: Okay, I gave you her transformation, now it is tome to take all the characters and throw them in the blender. HAHAHAHA!_


	3. Chapter 3 Adjusting

Disclaimer: refer to first chapter

I know what chapter you wanted to see, but this one comes next. Sorry ;P

oOo

It had been three weeks since the "experiment". It had taken her _that_ long to get her strength back. That was almost a _month_ too! And now, they want me to do exercises?

These were her thoughts as she brushed her teeth. The last part was what worried her. She knew they were going to try to get her to access her ghost form. She made sure that of all the things she adjusted to, holding that kind of power wasn't one. She had to cope with randomly turning invisible, floating off into space- with and without her realizing- and turning intangible. Like right now when her hand became intangible and her toothbrush clattered into the sink while her hand phased through her face.

She spat out what paste was in her mouth and focused the power to the rest of her body. While trying to maintain it she walked through the bathroom door to her bedroom, where the ability started to slip and she found herself stuck with her legs in the floor. She held it again long enough to free herself.

"Intangibility isn't so hard to get ahold of anymore." She noted to herself. She tried to levitate. Slowly she built up her weightlessness, until she was hovering above where she once stood. From here she could only drift around her room.

"I need more room to fly..." She sighed as she hovered on her back above her bed. _Unless..._ She wondered and sat up straighter. _Can I control both powers at once?_

She floated up to her ceiling and attempted to maker her hands intangible while maintaining her hovering. She found it actually very easy to do, and soon she was in the room above her. It was just another hospital room. She was tired of seeing those so she kept going up until she was on the roof. The sun was behind a layer of grey clouds and the air was still wet from the rain a while back. Still, she was happy to breathe fresh air.

For the first time since before the experiment, Isabelle was happy and felt like she could take on the world. She stayed up there for a long time. Only returning to her room when she spotted Agent K and O in the parking lot below as they got out of a car.

oOo

She was there to greet them when they walked in her room. Sitting on her bed.

They wasted no time getting to the point. "Dr. Mercer called us because you went missing about an hour ago."

She blushed, feeling like an idiot. Of course someone would be looking for her! "I was up on the roof. I had been practicing with my new... abilities."

After a moment agent K spoke. "Make sure someone knows where you are at all times."

"Yes sir."She said immediately.

Agent O asked "How has your control progressed?"

"I just discovered that I can fly and become intangible simultaneously."

Both agents nodded, having expected this. Isabelle had not, having known nothing about ghosts and abilities. "Is that all?" They asked.

"I can become invisible... but I... haven't practiced."

"I suggest you get started on it." Agent K announced. "Tomorrow we will be running you through some simulations." With that, they both left her room.

She was pissed at their behavior, but didn't say anything. It wasn't her place to make a comment about their attitude. They were a higher rank.

She sighed sounding annoyed, and began to focus on becoming transparent.

The next morning found her doing exactly as they said they would. They gave her a jumpsuit to put on for the exercises. She went into a bathroom and began changing. The jumpsuit was teal with a white collar. When she tried it on, she found that it fit her perfectly. A little too perfectly actually. It was like a second skin, so she could only wear her underwear underneath it. She pulled the zipper up over her stomach and chest. It stopped under her chin, the suit covering her neck.

When she asked back out, they gave her white gloves and boots to cover her bare hands and feet. Then, they showed her the simulation room. Having her literally jump through hoops. Some were flaming, to test her intangibility of course. She didn't know that if she would only turn into her ghost half, it would be easier to learn to control. The Guys in White didn't know this either, but they were still pressing her to do it.

"I don't think I can do it." She told them.

"Have you tried?"

"Yes." A lie. They didn't buy it though.

"Try again."

"Wh- now?"

"Yes, Senior Airman." They were pulling rank again.

She gulped, but landed on the floor below where she had been hovering. In truth, she didn't even know where to start. She hadn't been in that form since the night after the experiment when she first woke up. They had rushed in and after explaining her situation, spent the next few hours helping her figure out how to change back into her human form. Something they didn't think would be possible, but didn't tell her.

"I'm still not sure how to go about doing it." She admitted. "It's not like using my other abilities."

They thought for a moment, before an idea came to them. "The rings that appeared just before you changed back the other night." Agent O said.

_You mean nearly a month ago?_ She thought bitterly. "Yeah?"

"Try to make those appear again." He ordered.

She thought about the bright red rings, and immediately remembered what she had looked like. Not only did she have fangs and claws like some creature from a movie, or the bright red eyes that glowed. But her _hair_, her _hair_ had been on fire!

She shuddered at the memory, and her skin became gooseflesh. She was starting to feel cold when suddenly the red rings appeared and began to separate. She yelped and they snapped back together before disappearing.

"Why did you stop?" Agent K asked annoyed.

"You had it." Agent O agreed.

"It startled me. And it feels weird when it happens" She replied.

"Painful?"

"No, but uncomfortable."

"You will get used to it." They said. "Try again."

She wanted to tell them off. Wanted to phase them halfway through the floor leaving them stuck, and go find a coffee shop. Maybe get some breakfast. Instead she took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and tried to bring the rings back.

Her body temperature noticeably dropped and the red rings appeared once more. This time, she let them separate and make their way over her body. Heart hammering in her chest. When they were over her head and under her feet, the rings disappeared leaving her standing there in a reverse colored jumpsuit. It was now a rich dark red and black. Her gloves and boots now black too.

"Is that supposed to happen?" She asked, looking down at her outfit, completely forgetting her fear of being a ghost.

"To be honest, Senior Airman, we're not completely sure what to expect." Agent O said.

oOo

That evening Isabelle ate the meal that had been her dinner, and even asked for another. They had been running her through drills the entire day. When she finally went back to her room for the night, she didn't even change out of the jumpsuit, only crashed onto her pillow and fell asleep before a minute was up.

For the next few months, that was how she spent every day. Wake up early, run drills all day, crash into her pillow face first at night. Soon she was able to change her clothes when she went back and forth from her ghost form. Her jumpsuit became her ghost outfit, earning her the nickname 'Red' by the cooks, doctors, scientists and even the agents themselves began to call her Red sometimes.

She could make her jumpsuit become whatever outfit she was wearing when she was human, but the name stuck, and Isabelle Alexander became Red.

One day, about four months after she started training, she surprised herself and the agents by shooting a red lazer-like blast from her hand.

"Ectoblast." Agent K had called it. And that had become her focus for a few more months. She seemed to be getting stronger as time went by, but soon it came to everyone's attention that she had hit a plateau. Nonetheless, they continued to 'train' her. Though for what, she didn't know.

oOo

_A.N.: there you go. And thank you to my three readers! OR at least, the three that left a review. I appreciate the reviews!_


	4. Chapter 4 The Wisconsin Ghost

Disclaimer: refer to first chapter.

oOo

Both Phantom and Plasmius were thrown to the ground, but not before bouncing a few feet. While they got back to their feet, Isabelle activated the distress signal on her collar. It also doubled as a communication device when they the Agents were within a certain distance.

Plasmius was the first to get to his feet and react. He raised his hand and Isabelle, expecting an ectoblast, got ready to dodge, when suddenly a pink bubble appeared around her, trapping her.

"Who's this, Daniel?" He said to the younger ghost. "a new friend of yours?"

"I've never met her before." Danny said keeping his attention on Plasmius.

Isabelle was trying to figure out how to get out of the bubble while they continued to argue and even began fighting and shooting at each other. She started to focus ecto blasts to her palms again, but this time, also to her eyes, mouth, nose and anywhere the thought she could shoot from. After letting the energy build up for some time, she released it all in every direction. The bubble strained and popped under allt he pressure, going off like a small bomb, and knocking down all three halfas.

"Listen," She told them as they all got to their feet, both looking equally confused and angry. "Whatever you two are fighting about, you'd do well to take your little fight somewhere else." She was stalling really.

"Who are you to tell us what to do?" Plasmius spat.

"Why did you have to shoot us?" Phantom was more concerned about.

"That's not important-' She said to Plasmius before turning to Phantom, "-And you two are destroying everything." She looked around at the damage to the cars nearby.

"I think most of this is _your_ doing." Plasmius pointed out.

"I think if you two kept at it, it would be much worse." She countered.

"Who _are_ you?" Danny asked in an annoyed tone.

"I already told you, that's not important." In the distance behind them, she could see a rapidly approaching white helicopter. "Besides, I think you have more important things to worry about."

"I think it's _you_ who should be worried." Plasmius growled darkly, and raised one of his hands as it started to glow. The chopping of the blades could be heard now, but both Phantom and Plasmius either didn't notice or didn't hear.

"You don't want to do that." She said, sounding braver than she felt. In her chest, her heart hammered loudly, pounding against her ribs.

"Oh, I think I do!" He disagreed. The ectoblast charged and ready to fire.

"No you don't understand." She shaid holding up both hands defensively. "You really _really_ don't want to do that."

"Why not?" He snapped.

"That-" She pointed behind them to the helicopter that was just a street away. "-'s'why."

They both nearly jumped out of their skin when the all too familiar chopper of the Guys in White started to close in on them with rapid speed.

"She's been stalling!" Phantom growled angrily and took off flying quitcky in the opposite direction.

Plasmius continued to glare at her and for a second she thought he would still shoot her. But as the Agents began fireing their ghost weapons, he gave her a final piercing glare and took off in the opposite direction of both Phantom and the chopper.

Isabelle let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She wasn't sure what to do next, but at that moment her communicator on her collar beeped to life and she flipped it on. "Yes, sir?"

"_Don't just stand there Red! Follow them_!" Agent K's voice came in over the static.

"Which one do you want me to go after?" She asked, though she was sure she knew the answer and walked in the direction that Phantom had gone.

"_We'll go after Phantom. You go after the Wisconsin Ghost_."

She halted in her tracks. "Y-yes, sir." She stood there for a moment.

"_Get moving_!" She heard Agent K snap, and she jumped into action, flying after Plasmius.

oOo

She remembered Plasmius now. The file that had been titled 'The Wisconsin Ghost'. She didn't remember much about his file, but one thing that had stood out she did recall. It was a short paragraphed sentence that had used the words 'extremely' and 'dangerous'. Also the word 'powerful'. but it was the first two that were causing her to hesitate in her persuit.

_Why the hell would they send me after _this_ one?_ She thought nervously as she glided over building after building, searching for any sign of a ghostly presence. _Are they trying to get me killed?_ AS she wondered this, her chest began to get warm again and the smoke reappeared in her breath. It was a light greyish white fog that was gone as soon as it appeared. When she was about to fly down to the street and land, she spotted a white cape flapping in the wind ahead of her. _Or do they think I'm strong enough to handle him?_

She figured he must have heard her approaching, because he quickly stopped mid-flight and turned to face her. She couldn't stop so suddenly like that, but she managed to slow down enough that she didn't have to pass him. While he floated in one spot high above the streets, she floated around him, still not in complete control of her powers.

"You _actually_ followed me?" He said with a surprised but dark and satisfyed grin. "You must have a death wish, hmm?"

She fixed him with a glare. "I have orders to capture you."

"Orders?" He said with a short laugh that sounded a bit like a bark. "Whose orders?"

She visibly stiffened. _Probably shouldn't have said that._ She thought before reciting her favorite phrase. "That's not important."

He raised one eyebrow at this, causing her to get angry again. She flew at him and tried to punch him. He easily floated out of the way and smirked. She growled and charged up her ectoenergy again. Instead of just flying at him again, she charged him with a combination of punches and kicks. She had been trained in hand to hand combat as part of her exercises. But hand to hand combat while flying was not something she had ever tried. She wasn't very good at it.

He seemed to be dodging easily and without and appearant effort, but when she landed one good kick to the back of his head that sent him to the streets below, his strategy changed.

She flew down to the street next to the dent in the concrete where he had landed. When she approached, he lept up and began to pummel her with similar attacks. But now they were on solid ground, and she could easily block or dodge every blow. Unfortunately it left her on the defense, and he was quickly backing her into a wall.

Seeing this, she seized the opportunity to leap to one side, roll around behind him, and shoot him with a quick ectoblast. Quick, but not very strong.

He only stumbled a few feet before turning and fixing her with a glare that suggested he was much angrier than he was letting on.

"So, you can fly." He sneered. "So you can shoot ectoblasts. Is that all?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, not letting her guard down. "I can do this..." She turned intangible and phased through the ground. She then turned invisible as well and flew back up and walked around behind him. "I can do this too." She said and shot another ectoblast at him.

Plasmius whirled around and crossed his arms over his chest. Miliseconds before the blast would have exploded in his face, it hit a wall and he was unharmed. "But can you do this?" She looked shocked. "Or this?"

Isabelle jumped and whirled to look around her as suddenly there were _four_ of him surrounding her. "No! I can't... do any of those things."

"How long have you been a ghost?" He laughed. She turned back to the one she assumed was still the original.

"Th-That's not important." She growled.

"That's getting really annoying, hearing you say that." One of the Plasmiuses said as she was restrained by multiple hands. "I'm going to make sure you don't follow me this time." Said the one in front of her, and he began charging up his ectoblast.

Isabelle was struggling to reach the transmitter on her collar that would send out the distress signal again, but all of her limbs were held securely in place. Even though she was more scared than she had been in a long time, she fixed him with her darkest glare. _This is really going to hurt._

She didn't even see him fire. Only felt a white hot pain on her chest and stomach as if someone was holding a searing hot iron to her skin. She wasn't even aware that she had been falling until she smashed into the street with such a force, she was sure her skull was shattered. From where she was laying, she should have been able to see the red of his eyes, but because her brain was so rattled, she could only make out a blur of red that was the underside of his cape, as he flew away.

Isabelle managed to stay in her ghost form long enough to send the signal again, and wait for the agents to pick her up. When she was in the chopper and finally lost control of her form, she was happy to find that most of the damage had disappeared with the ghost form.

"That's convenient." She said to herself below the sound of the blades chopping through the air. Despite how tired she was, she changed back into her ghost form and discovered that the damage and wounds had not returned. "Very nice!"

Neither agents nor ghost girl had captured their targets. So they retired to their base... apartment... for the evening. Isabelle needed to patch up what scratches she still had, and with all the fighting, she had built up an appetite.

"How did you like fighting your first ghost?" She heard one of the agents ask through the headset everyone was wearing.

After a moment of thought she answered. "I could get used to this!"

oOo

_A.N.: Well there's her first ghost encounter. Hope you liked it. Please leave me a review to tell me what you think?_


	5. Chapter 5 Partner

Disclaimer: refer to first chapter.

I will go ahead and give you two in a row from the same time point. :)

oOo

When Isabelle walked over the threshold of her temporary home, instead of being greeted by her "parents", she was met with a large orange/brown and black dog, barking threateningly but not growling.

"Down, Hector!" Her "mom" Tracy Redd snapped at the large German Shepherd.

The dog immediately shut up, but began to sniff her curiously. "What's this?" Isabelle asked incredulously.

"That is your new partner," Agent O said as he and Agent K followed her into the appartment. "His name is Agent K9 Alpha 2-4. Also known as 'Hector'."

"My partner?" She looked at the dog skeptically, who returned with a cautious look. "What's the dog going to do?" She asked, but had a pretty good idea. Maybe it could track targets? Or attack on command? Or maybe he was even trained to accomplish small tasks like secretly transporting small objects?

"He's your excuse to be out patroling." Agent O replied. "Just take him for regular walks."

She had been reaching into the fridge to grab the carton of orange juice, but stopped short when she heard this. "That's it?" This had to be a joke.

Neither agent said anything, but they didn't have to. She immediately knew they were serious.

"Who's going to take care if him?" She asked, drinking her juice straight from the carton before putting it back.

"I'll keep an eye on him until you get home from school." Tracy said. "Then he's all yours."

"I don't want or need a dog!" Isabelle said watching the dog nervously. She opened the freezer and grabbed one of the ice-packs. Tracy had suggested them, and right now, Isabelle was grateful for her ability to plan ahead.

"Your partner is your responsibility. You will be expected to take care of him when you are not attending classes or keeping up your persona." Agent K said.

"My persona? All I have to do is go to school and pretend to be a teenager."

"Your mission is to gather intel from your classmates-" Agent K started.

"When you're not patroling." Agent O interjected.

"So you will have to form a friendship with some of the childred- it doesn't matter who- just make sure you are present at their common hang-outs."

She nodded reluctantly to this. She had never been the social butterfly, but she knew she would have to play her part if she wanted their plans to go accordingly. "What about my patroling? What do I have to do?"

"Take the dog- that way if anyone gets suspicious you can have an excuse to be passing by- and keep and eye out for ecto-related activity."

"What do I do if I run into trouble again?" She asked as she gestured to her sternum where she was holding the ice-pack.

They thought about this for a moment, not expecting that to be one of her questions. Finally Agent O spoke up. "If you think you can handle the situation, you may descretely change into your ghost form and rectify the situation."

"But," Agent K added. "If it is Phantom, or the Wisconsin Ghost again, you will do nothing, and contact us."

She nodded, not sure how to reply to that statement. "What about the dog?" She asked. "What's he going to do while I'm being all ghosty?"

"As part of your responsibility, you will need to get him used to being around you as both a human and a ghost."

"But what will he _do_?" She asked.

"He is a military dog." Agent K assured. "He has had more training than a police dog, and even more than some human agents and officers. You will not have to worry about Agent K9."

oOo

Two days later found Isabelle in her room at her desk. She stared down at the homework assignment. She hadn't written anything on the worksheet since she signed 'Isabelle Redd' twenty minutes eariler.

She shouldn't have to do this! This wasn't part of her job description. Plus history had never been her forte when she was in school. Thankfully, Tracy provided her with a distraction.

"Isabelle! Take go ahead and take Hector on patrol, he's getting anxious."

"Yes, ma'am!" She replied enthusiastically as she jumped up form the desk. She grabbed the leash and harness from a hook by the door, and stumbled a bit as Hector all but dragged her out the door.

Isabelle went on patrol about four times a night. Hector was only present for two of the walks. He had stamina, but not nearly as much as the genetically altered super soldier. In the two days that followed, Isabelle had not yet seen a single ghost. Even Phantom, as popular he was, had not made any reported appearances.

At the begining of their walk, Hector, as always, was excited and constantly giving her looks over his shoulder as if to say "Hurry up will you!"

She laughed at this. "What? Do you have plans that I'm holding you from?" She joked as she increased her speed to a light jog. The first place they visited now, was the park. Despite how they reacted when first meeting each other, Hector and Isabelle had grown on each other. Isabelle couldn't help herself. She had a soft spot for critters. Besides, Hector, though still nervous, was getting used to her as a ghost. He still kept his distance when she was in her other form, but he had stopped giving her untrusting sideways glances when he walked around the appartment.

When they reached the park, there were only a few other people around, so she unhooked the leash from his collar, and let the German Shepherd wander around sniffing things, his tail wagging happily with every step.

_Agent Dog my butt!_ Isabelle laughed quietly to herself as she produced a tennis ball from her pocket. "Hector." She called and when he looked up from a particular grass spot, she showed him the ball in her hands, and suddenly he forgot everything else in the world. His ears pointed straight up, and froze, eyes trained on the wonderous orbicular object she held.

She tossed it straight up and caught it a few times, making Hector inch toward her anxiously.

"You wan't it?" She asked.

"I think he does." Someone behind her said.

She recognized their voice, but turned to look at them anyway. "Hey, Samantha!"

Sam scowled at this. "It's Sam." She corrected.

"Oh, sorry- hold on a second." She turned and chucked the ball as far as she could. Hector was immediately after. An tan and black streak across the sea of green. She turned back to Sam. "Sam. Got it. I won't make that mistake again." She promised as she saw Tucker approaching.

Sam smiled at this. "I knew I liked you, Belle not Isabelle." They laughed lightly as Tucker came up to them.

"If it isn't Belle the beautiful!" He teased. "What are you doing here?"

Isabelle looked behind her as Hector was now returning his his prize. "My friend here has a weight problem." She said then reached down to scratch the scruff of his neck. "What are you guys doing?" She didn't peg either one for the athletic type.

"We're meeting Danny... to.." Tucker seemed to catch himself.

"-To go to the Nasty Burger together." Sam finished for him.

Before she could professionalize herself, her first reaction came through. "This town has a burger place?" Isabelle asked excitedly. Hector started at her unusual behavior, but was soon distracted by the ball again as she threw it again.

Before Sam could say anything, Tucker answered. "Yeah, them best! Right over there.." He pointed beyond the park. "You can even see the sign from here." She turned her head and strained her eyes in the direction he was pointing. "If you want, you could meet us over there later- ow!"

Isabelle turned around in time to see Tucker give Sam an annoyed glare. Sam spoke up then. "We actually have to meet Danny soon."

"That's okay, I still have to finish my walk. Might go over there sometime before the sun sets."

"Then we might see you there." Sam said and started to leave. "Catch you later!" She called over her shoulder as Tucker followed behind her giving Isabelle an apologetic look.

oOo

A few hours later, Isabelle was walking back through the park toward where she could see the Nasty Burger sign in the distance. The sun was about an hour from setting on the horizon, so it wasn't dark yet, but the sky was orange. Hector had stayed at the appartment. The dog was exhausted, and she was pretty sure she wouldn't be allowed to bring an animal into a resteraunt.

As soon as she walked into the restaurant, she was greeted with the welcome mouthwatering smell of burgers on the grill and french fries. She spotted Danny and his friends sitting in one of the booths. They weren't hard to spot really. What with everyone pointing and laughing at their table. Isabelle ordered her food and when she got it, walked over to their table.

"Here take a seat." Danny offered as he got up to let her in. Tucker was across from her and Sam next to him.

"Did I miss something?" She asked, glancing around at their audience.

"It doesn't matter." Danny said. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much, just checking out the town." She replied taking the first bite of her burger. "Oh my gosh this thing's delicious!" She exclaimed and took another bite.

"Long time since your last burger?" Tucker asked.

"You could say that." Isabelle replied. "I usually only eat fruits and vegetables, but I can't say no to a hamburger when I'm craving one. It's my comfort food!" She laughed. They all ate their food in silence for a moment, before they were interrupted by none other than her own superiors.

"Everybody out!" Agent O said as he grabbed the burger Danny had been about to take a bite from. "This is an evacuation."

"This place is being demolished by order of the new owner." Agent K said from the door. Neither agent gave any sign that they had seen her. Why should they? She's just a student.

"New owner?" Danny asked.

"That's right Daniel." Came the voice of a third person as they walked through the doors. Danny recoiled instantly. "You know these walls are infested with highly harmful ecto-bestos? As the new proprietor it is my duty to tear this place down. With your own extensive background in demolition I'm sure you understand, yes?"

Isabelle tried to conspicuously get the attention of her superiors. To ask them, who was this man and what the hell is going on?

Moments later, everyone was outside crowded around the building at a safe distance.

"Three... two...one... demolish!" Agent K said into his walkie talkie, and everyone groaned as the restaurant was brought to the ground.

"Let this be a lesson, Danny." She heard from her far left and saw the "New Owner" leaning over to speak to Danny. "I put the 'pro' in 'quid pro quo', not that you're bright enough to know what that means."

"I get the idea, and I don't like it." Danny snapped back. "Believe me, this isn't over yet!"

"Oh, good!" The older man replied as Danny walked over to this friends and Isabelle. "I'll take that as a challange!" He glared after the boy, then to each of his friends.

"New friend of Danny's?" He asked Isabelle, raising an eyebrow at her.

The smirk he wore made her want to blast him. She didn't reply, or give him any sign that she had heard him. Only followed after the teens. When they were a good distance away, she finally spoke up. "Uhh, guys? Who was that?"

Danny hesitated before answering. "He's Vlad Masters. Local billionaire." He replied, his voice was laced with destain.

"And don't forget, college buddy to your dad." Tucker added.

"That much of a jerk and your dad still considers him a friend?" Isabelle asked in disbelief.

There was a moment of silence before the three teens broke out into laughter. "It's a long story." Danny said.

"I don't mind." Isabelle pressed.

"Maybe some other time." Sam interjected. She and Danny shared the briefest of glances.

"Yeah, we actually have somewhere to be." Danny agreed.

"I'll hold you to it then." Isabelle said. They all said their goodbyes and went their seperate ways.

oOo

_A.N.: I appreciate all of those who have left me their thoguhts in the form of reviews._


	6. Chapter 6 Hamburgers!

Disclaimer: Refer to first chapter.

oOo

_Isabelle's past, at the institution._

"...now," Her new trainer, Dr. Kraine said after he made sure she was properly blindfolded. The first blindfold they had tied around her eyes had been cloth and her hair had burnt it within seconds. The one was more flame retardant. "The targets will move about the room- quietly- while you use your hearing to find them."

The 'targets' were some of the agents and scientists who were bribed to volunteer, by wearing lightweight armor, and strapping a wooden bullseye to their chests.

"Okay, but what is this going to accomplish?" She asked, peeling the blindfold over one eye to give Dr. Kraine a questioning look.

"No peeking." He said with a smirk before lowering her hands back to her sides. "People rely on their eyes too much." He explained. "We have the ability to taste, feel, smell and hear our surroundings. Sight is a bonus, not a necessity. In these lessons, you will learn not to rely on your eyes, and to develop your other senses."

"I'm supposed to find and shoot the targets by _tasting_ them?" She asked skeptically.

"Don't forget smelling and hearing." Dr. Kraine replied matter-of-factly. "Just close your mouth, and clear your mind."

She sent a small sneer in what she thought was his direction, but closed her mouth and focused on sensing her coworkers who were sneaking around her an a circular motion. "This isn't working." She said after a few minutes.

"You're just not focusing." He insisted. "Focus on what you can smell."

She sighed, and if he could see through the blindfold, would have seen her roll her eyes. But she cleared her mind again and started to focus on her breathing. _What can I smell?_

"Cleaning supplies." She said after a moment. "I can smell it on the floors. Like bleach, and other harsh chemicals."

"Good." He replied. "What else."

She continued to breath. "Something, salty. Like chips."

"That's me." One of the targets announced. "Had a bag not half an hour ago- that's amazing!"

She caught the scent of something she didn't recognize. It wafted from her left, so she turned and started to slowly follow it. It was warm, not unlike vanilla. And something else too. Cinnamon? Caramel, maybe?

"Smell something you like?" Dr. Kraine asked from a few feet in front of her. A hint of smugness in his voice.

"Is that you then?" She asked with a cheeky grin.

"Look, Miss Alexander, if you're not going to take this exercise seriously, then we're going to be here all-"

She immediately lost her patience and shot out six ectoblasts in seemingly random directions, then removed her blindfold.

The bullseye targets were all still sizzling from where her energy had exploded against them seconds ago. She turned and gave Dr. Kraine a half smirk.

"Y-yes well... that will be all then." He said with an embarrased smile. "You are all free to go now." He said to the targets, who didn't need to be told twice and quickly filed out of the room.

She changed back to her human form and Dr. Kraine turned to watch as the rings appeared and seperated over her, and she knew it wasn't just the rings of ecto energy that he was looking at.

oOo

A few hours later found Isabelle in a black and gaudy van with some agents. They weren't Guys in White, but still definitely government officials. Isabelle was excited today. This day was her weekly visit to the town that was a half hour to forty five minute drive the facility. She had only gone to the town six or seven times. It was called Crystal Valley, though for what reason she was unsure. It was constantly overcast and though it didn't always rain, the ground was usually wet or muddy. But she loved it anyway. No matter where she went, it still smelled like a forest. Which made sense, because the town was built at the base of two large mountains that were covered in a dense dark green forest.

They started taking her on these trips after they were one hundred percent sure that she was in control of her powers. Even though they usually made their trips around lunchtime, she found that the lodge would serve breakfast all day, and had eaten there the first few times. It was actually a nice place. Most of the older buildings looked like large log cabins, and nearly all of them had a large fireplace in them (which were always lit this time of year). But the last time she had gone, she had discovered a place that made burgers. She could smell them as she walked past the building. It had been so mouthwatering, she had ducked between two of the buildings and had gone invisible and intangible, and snuck into their kitchens.

So she had been anticipating this day for a whole week. Hamburgers- no, _cheeseburgers_ were one of her favourite foods. With all the possible condiment combinations and cheese options,-even sauces, no two burgers should ever be the same.

"Are we there yet?" She heard one of the agents ask. He thought he was being descrete, but he wasn't aware of her superpowered senses. He was new.

"We should be coming up on the valley here in a few minutes or so." The one driving announced to the whole car.

"I could have been there in a few minutes." Isabelle muttered to the agent next to her in the back seat. His name was Agent Connors. One of the few people she associated with outside of training and testing

"Yeah, it's easy to get through all the twists and turns in the road when they don't even apply to you." He replied with his usual wit. That was one of the reasons she liked his company.

As soon as they had pulled into the small town, she was the first one out of the car. "Okay see you guys later." She called as she started toward the place where she could already smell the burgers from.

"Be back here-" The new guy started.

"In and hour and a half, I know." She said. Behind her she could hear the agent who had driven ( she couldn't remember his name- say to the new guy "You're the newbie, not her."

When she got to the place, she was surprised to find the place not even a third full. The sign at the door said: Please be seated. So she took a spot in the back where she could see the whole place. A waiter came and gave her a menu, taking her drink order and went to fill that while she looked over her choices. After a while she decided on one that had bacon and avacado. It sounded alright.

_I wonder how they get avacados all the way up here?_ She wondered as she sipped her soda. _Probably a truck or something._

Before her waiter even brought out her food, she found that she could smell it. Focusing on her senses was easier than she thought it would be. It just took focus. When the plate was in front of her, the waiter gave her a nervous smile before slinking away to think of something to say.

She looked at the dish like it was just another McDonalds item, but inside, she was giddy with anticipation. She had to pick the think up with two hands and couldn't open her mouth with enough to take a whole bite. She smushed it between her fingers and thumbs until she could fit her jaw around it, and took a bite.

It was ten times better than it smelled. After she had eaten half of it, she began to slow down. Already feeling the sugar rush from her coke, and the burger and fries lifting her mood, she felt ready to take on anything. She paid the waiter and went back outside to look around for somewhere she hadn't been yet.

oOo

In the car on the way back, she was trying to read a book, but was having a bit of difficulty due to the dim light. She had been lucky to find a bookstore. It was a small Barnes and Noble. The coffee counter was her first stop of course. Unfortunately she had already finished her coffee before she returned to the car.

She squinted at the text, trying to make out what the words were. For the first time in the past ten minutes, the words became clear. Just for a brief moment. Looking around the interior though,she found that the car only had a dome light. Focusing back at the print again, she strained her eyes and it became clear. Or rather, she could see the white of the paper. In the rearview mirror, she could see herself. Eyes glowing red.

_Ghost senses!_ The realized. _Duh! I should have thought of this sooner._

Willing her ghost eyes to be consistant wasn't too much trouble, but soon she was freezing from the chill that accompanied the power. She thought of another part of her ghost half, and started warming herself from her core. She had almost found a perfect medium between the two powers when she heard Conners ask in a nervous voice "Red? Are you okay?"

He flinched when she glanced up at him. "Yeah..." She gave him a questioning look. "Why?"

"You're eyes... and your hair is smoking." He said, gaze focused above her eyes.

Her breath hitched, and she lost focus of both at once, sending a gust of warm air spinning in a tight vortex around her before blowing out.

"Sorry, I was trying to read." She said, closing the book and placing it on the floor under the drivers seat. The exposed metal bar shocking her fingers as the brushed against it...

When she was finally back at the base, she went to her room with the intention to go to bed, like everyone else was.

"I let myself in." He said when she walked in the door. "My afternoon freed up after you left."

"I'm sorry to hear that." She replied and placed her book on her nightstand and began to remove a few layers of clothing. When she was wearing a tank top and pyjama pants, she crawled in bed, snuggling close to him under the covers. "What did you do then?" She asked with a yawn.

"Read."

"The entire time?"

"Mm-hmm." into her shoulder as he pulled her closer to him and sighed contently.

"Can I have tomorrow off?" She asked as she started to drift.

He had been working a hand at her hip, but stopped. "Are you hurt?"

"No, no!" She said quickly at his worried voice. "Just..." She couldn't bring herself to tell him. It would ruin the night, and she didn't feel like explaining the situation. "Tired... of the training. Just wanted to take a break." She lied.

He had relaxed again, and his thumb found its way under the waistline of the pants. "I don't know." He said, tracing lazy circles. "As your trainer, I shouldn't allow it. I can't allow it."

oOo

_A.N.: Please leave me your reviews. I enjoy them and like to know what people think of my work._


	7. Chapter 7 Eye for an Eye

Disclaimer: Refer to first chapter.

Thank you all for the reviews, I am glad you liked it.

_Present day, Amity Park _

oOo

He had said, 'quid pro quo'. And it didn't take a rocket scientist to see that Danny Fenton and Vlad Masters didn't like each other.

_That quirky teen and billionaire have a rivalry_. She thought to herself as she walked along, Hector at her heels. _And the old guy is a mayoral candidate now. What is wrong with this town?_

She rounded a corner and walked around the City Hall. A news crew was packing up, and had driven off by the time she reached where they were parked. That was when she felt the warm sensation in her chest again, and the white fog escaped her mouth. She was walking away from the building when she heard a loud crash from behind her. She whipped around in time to spot Plasmius fly tumbling away from the roof of the building. A moment later Danny Phantom appeared, and Plasmius threw some strange blasts at him. The roof of the building exploded into dust and debris.

"Those two again?" She sighed, cursing quietly. Then her eyes widened. "I can tell when ghosts are around." Phantom flew into Plasmius and attacked him, sending him into a building a few streets over. She heard Hector whine, on the verge of barking, but a quick glance his way and he instantly shut up. She glanced back up at the two ghosts. They had started fighting again, not noticing her. She reached for her communicator... and found nothing.

"Shit!" She had left it probably. Hector gave a short whine and shifted impatiently. An idea struck her. A very stupid one. Dropping his leash, she pointed back the way they had come. "Go home, boy! Go!"

He took off in the general direction that she had pointed. Finally alone, she transformed into her ghost half, and followed.

"...So in other words, GET OUT OF MY TOWN!" She heard Phantom growl.

"Fool! Do you really think I'm this weak?" Plasmius retorted. "I'm more powerful than you'll ever know, and even now my power increases. Look!" He turned to where there was a crowd of people gathered in line to vote.

That's when she noticed them. Clones. Hundreds of them maybe. All of them dark and shadowy, with red eyes and fearsome smirk. All of them strongly resembling Plasmius. they dropped from the sky, charging at the citizens.

Danny Phantom made to run toward the people, when Plasmius easily slapped him aside, sending him through a building before he disappeared down to another street. Ignoring the sickening fear telling her not to, she charged foward into Plasmius, with her hands blazing with energy. She had the element of surprise, so he was instantly thrown to the ground. When she thought she'd pinned him, she charged an ecto blast and held it at the ready to blast his face, and spoke. "Miss me?" She asked with a grin. "Now. Whatever it is that you're doing to the citizens of this town, I'll have to kindly ask you to stop."

"Excuse me?" He asked, looking up at her like he didn't exactly believe what she had said.

She frowned. "I said-"

"No, I heard you." He interrupted quickly. "Are you really threatening me? Again?" He said with a confident smirk. "Did you enjoy your thrashing last time? Came back for more, hmm?"

She released the blast as a punch to the face. He didn't seem the least bit fazed by it, and before she could even blink, had freed his arms. Massive hands wrapped around her wrists in a vice grip, and wrenched her arms out of the way. Before she knew what was happening, he had pinned her.

_Damn._

He was struggling to get her arms out of the way- something that was surprising her- as he spoke in a voice that was strained. "Seems you have already forgotten what happened the last time you crossed me." Slowly (and finally) he pinned her arms on either side of her head and leaned closer. "I guess I'll have to teach you a lesson you _won't_ forget."

There was a sickening crack as her forhead collided with his, and a muffled grunt as her foot slammed into his gut, sending him flying back.

"To quote the Phantom kid," She said ignoring the stars in her eyes and giving him a pointed look as he struggled to stand up. "Get out of my town."

He growled and launched himself at her. She in turn, charged at him. Their hands locked together and they both fought to overpower the other. Sparks of electricity appeared out of nowhere, and crackled all around them. Just as she was starting to overpower him, he reacted by shooting an ectoblast... from his mouth. Seriously.

She slammed into the ground on the other side of the building. By the time she was back on her feet and had flown back to the rooftop, he had disappeared again.

oOo

"...and by the time I got back up there, he was gone." She finished telling Tracy and Agents K and O her story.

"Yes, the Wisconsin Ghost is notorious for his ability to slip away." Agent O said. Isabelle wasn't sure if he was trying to be comforting by telling her this.

They had reprimanded her for being foolish and leaving her communicator behind, but reluctantly praised her for her quick thinking by sending Agent K9. When Hector had returned without her, Tracy immediately called the Agents, who- after discovering the damage to the City Hall- had quicky found her.

"How did you hold up against him?" K asked.

"Not so well. He's stronger than I am." She sighed, but then frowned suddenly. "No, wait! That's not right at all."

When she didn't say anything after a moment, Agent O asked, "Care to share with the rest of us?"

"He's more_ powerful_ than I am." She said as realization dawned on her. "Not stronger. I nearly had the upperhand more than once when it came to strength. He's just more powerful than I am."

"Glad you see that as a good thing." Agent O said in a tone that implied that, he clearly didn't. Agent K was about to jump in with his two cents, but something caught the attention of both Agents. They both reached up to press their earpieces further into their ear.

They both looked at her. "Tomorrow we are meeting with the new mayor. You will be there."

"The election was today? Who's the new mayor?"

"One question at a time, girl" Tracy joked.

"Vlad Masters is the new mayor." Agent O said. "We'll explain everything when we pick you up tomorrow. Eight."

"And human." K added as they walked out the door.

oOo

"Under no circumstances, will you reveal you ghost powers or alter-ego." Agent O said as they rode over to the City Hall. "And if you're not sure how to answer a question, just tell him you're not at liberty to reveal that information."

"Am I going in alone?" Isabelle asked, suddely worried.

"Not this time. But for future reference." Agnet K said.

"Not this time?" She asked. "So I will be later on?"

"You will report to his office once a day before or sometimes after you report to us." She nodded and glanced out the window as they rounded a corner and the building came into view.

They didn't have to wait very long, being the mayors first official order of business. The secretary led them to his office and walked them in. Vlad Masters was sitting behind his desk with his hands clasped together in front of him. He was wearing his signature black tuxedo and a questioning look directed at Isabelle, that quickly changed to recognition. He slowly stood as the three entered the large office, and then he walked around his desk.

"Mayor Masters." Agent K greeted. "I am Agent K. This is Agent O and our field officer Isabelle Alexander. You may or may not already know about us."

They all shook hands with him, then took seats around his desk. His analyzing gaze falling over her, and she fought to not figet under it.

"We're in this town under a top secret operation that you are to be given limited knowledge of." Agent O started, and he became the focus of the mayor's attention. "We are here to enforce the law on malicious spectral entities. Agent K and myself can cover nearly every inch of this town by ourselves, except for some places."

"The institute known as Casper High School being one of the places we don't have jurisdiction." Agent K continued. "Which is where our field officer comes in. She is currently undercover, enrolled at the school."

"And what exactly is it that you'll be doing?" The mayor asked her.

She straightened up in her chair and twisted her fingers nervously. "I'll be there to protect them if a specter shows up there. I've started to attach myself to a group of students who I can use to aquire information if need be-"

"So basically," The mayor interrupted with a hint of irritation in his voice. "You're going to fight ghosts, yes?"

"Basically." She ground out, earning her a raised eyebrow.

"As is just so happens, I have some plans of my own to help avoid unwanted ghost encounters." The mayor announced. "And though your efforts are appreciated, they will no longer be necessary."

"Nevertheless," Agent K replied. "We will continue our business. Miss Alexander will report to you if we have anything to share, and will report to you once a day for you to report anything you find as well. Do you have any questions about the situation?"

The new mayor was shocked that they had blatantly ignored him. It was his turn to ground out his response. "No."

"Then we will be in touch. Good day." Agents K and O were immediatly out the door and gone by the time Isabelle realized that their meeting was over.

Vlad Masters' calculating stare jolted her from her seat. "Have a good day." She said in a voice that she hoped, sounded polite, and followed the agents back to their car.

"I look forward to seeing you fight a ghost sometime." He called after her and she stopped to turn and look at him.

She gave him a half smirk. "I'll try to make it a good one." He raised both eyebrows, and wore an expression of shock and amusement, causing her half smirk to spread into a grin. With that, she turned and left.

oOo-

_A.N.: Thank you for the reviews. When you leave reviews, it tells me how many readers I have following my story, and makes me happeh!_


	8. Chapter 8 A New Power

**Disclaimer: Refer to first chapter.**

oOo

Thank you all for the reviews. I actually got around to drawing and (surprise!) a bit of coloring as well. So I made you guys a picture of Red Spectre. Tell me what you think, and what color I should make her hair.

It's on DeviantArt under my username ToboeOkami.

Maybe later I'll do one of Isabelle.

And Vlad.

Anyway thank you for waiting. I just got a new computer (MacBook Pro) that I'm learning to use, so if this doesn't come out right I apologize in advance. I have to do this whole, copy and paste thing just to upload. Can't just upload the document like when it was word pad. Help?

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_Isabelle's Past, Top Secret Training Institution_

oOo

Sneaking around inside a top secret government building is no easy task. Unless of course you happen to be equipped with super powers. And your name is Isabelle Alexander.

Even in a building that employed people aware of her paranormal abilities, nobody seemed to think that she'd ever be up to no good.

So all she had to do was turn invisible and intangible and float through the walls and ceilings. Soon she had reached her destination. The private room of Dr. William Kraine. The two had come to a conclusion a few weeks back. It was just easier for her to come to him instead of the other way around. What business did he have to go looking for her? At night? They'd be busted. And neither wanted to find out what would happen if they were caught. As she phased through his door, she stayed invisible, incase he had company. Of the upper management kind.

The room was empty, save for the Doctor, who was sitting at his desk, fingers flying over the keys of his computer. The lights were off, leaving the computer screen to cast a glow on everything in front of it. After a few seconds, he stopped typing and looked up, eyes glancing around the room.

"Isabelle?"

"How did you know?" She asked quietly, running a hand through his hair as she turned visible.

"The room just got a bit colder." He said simply as he removed his glasses and set them on top of the keyboard. "It only ever happens when you're in your ghost form."

"I take it that it's not something to be worried about?" She asked.

"Well no. Actually when people have had an encounter with a ghost, usually they reported that they would experience a cold sensation, or a drop in the temperature of the room."

"You just said the same thing twice." She joked as they both made their way to his kitchenette. When she flipped on the light, he groaned, and she turned to see him rubbing his eyes. "Why were you sitting in the dark anyway?"

"The sun was out earlier and it provided all the light I needed." He explained, looking up at her. His eyes were a bit red, and there were small bags under them.

"You look exhausted." She said. "Go lie down, I'll fix you something to eat."

"You don't really-"

"Go." She said sternly. "I know my way around."

He sighed heavily, but she could tell he was being dramatic. She made him a grilled cheese sandwich, but took advantage of the supplies in his fridge and added a slice of tomato and some spinach.

When she walked back into the bedroom area with the plate, he was sound asleep. "Will?" She called softly, not wanting to startle him awake.

He didn't react, and continued to breathe looking very relaxed. She approached the bed.

"William?" Still nothing. She held the plate in front of his face and used her other hand to fan at him. He started to take deeper breaths, then he sniffed, and cracked one eye.

"Smell something you like?"

oOo

Early the next morning she left to sneak back to her room. When she had walked invisibly through her wall, she phased back into her human form- still in her pajama's- and went back to bed. Later when she woke up, the sun had finally risen, so she got dressed and made her way to the cafeteria. She had been upgraded to a nicer room, this one having it's own kitchenette like William's. And although she could make her own breakfast, going to the cafeteria was the closest she got to "going out to eat". Besides, this cafeteria went all out when it came to food.

She didn't see William- he rarely ate in the cafeteria- but when her eyes found someone at one of the tables, she made her way over there immediately. Isabelle sat down on the other side of the dark haired woman.

"Mornin' Trace." She greeted.

"How goes it, Red?" Tracy replied taking a sip of her coffee, then adding quietly. "Other than the fact that you got some last night."

"How can you just tell like that?" Isabelle grumbled trying to hide the blush creeping over her face.

"You forget, that was the group I was with growing up." Tracy said matter-of-factly. "Make-up, hairspray and partying."

"Mine was books, music and television… or internet." Isabelle replied between bites.

Tracy snorted. "Nerd."

"Everybody knows nerds are sexy." Isabelle retorted, with a laugh that Tracy shared.

"Have anyone specific in mind?" Tracy asked pointedly, peering over her cup. "Like say… a certain british doctor? …slash trainer?"

Isabelle leaned over her food to speak in a quiet voice. "Oh, you know you're just jealous." She joked.

Tracy laughed a bit louder than she meant to at this, but covered her mouth with her hand to stifle it when a few heads turned curiously. She nodded. "Yes, I will admit he's pretty fine, but jealous?" She shook her head then. "Let's finish up here, then we'll take one of the cars into town."

"Sound good." Isabelle agreed. She was glad to have found a friend in Tracy. One day at lunchtime, she had noticed that both girls were eating by themselves, so she just walked up and asked to join her. Turns out, neither of them really had a social group within their workplace. They had been eating meals together ever since, and had developed a close bond, so much so that they could sometimes read each other like a book. So when Isabelle went to hang out with Tracy after a visit with William, the other girl had questioned the pink glow of orgasm on her cheeks. And Isabelle shared her secret with the junior agent, who thankfully- though stupidly- valued their friendship over a paycheck, and assured the half ghost that her secret was safe.

So everyone continued on with their lives as normal. Turns out, not one of the three aware of the relationship, actually knew if they had policies about dating in the workplace. Nobody wanted to ask the question and besides, what management did not know, wouldn't bother them.

Everything seemed to be going great in her life. Except for one thing of course. She was constantly shocking herself on any and all metal, and on a few people.

She hadn't seen the Guys in White in person for a while, so she couldn't tell them about it. Rumor had it that they were in the process of planning a mission. They had discontinued her training sessions- ordering her to continue them on her own- and even her ghost training had ceased. Nobody had seen the worst of what the electric discharges looked like, but she occasionally shocked people when they touched her.

William had noticed. It was kind of hard to ignore when your partner is electrically shocking you bad enough to leave red marks. He'd asked her about it a few times, but she assured him that there was nothing wrong. She didn't want him to worry. She assumed that it was just a new power trying to manifest, and it seemed that that was very likely the case, because sometimes she could create a few sparks. It was hard to do though. Like flexing a muscle that had never beed moved before… and that was also imaginary. She wasn't exactly sure how she did it when she did, and she didn't know how it was activating on its own.

Now as she and Tracy sat in the backseat of the car on their way to Crystal Valley, she was playing with the static. A short little blitz of light accompanied by a chirping sound or an electric humming.

"Your powers never cease to amaze me." Tracy said in awe.

"'Cease'? Aww… that means they don't amaze you." Isabelle said. The mood in the car immediately lightened as everyone snickered.

"What?" Conners asked as he laughed. "_What_? Be quiet you."

oOo

_A.N.: Thank you to all my reviewers and the people who are following._


	9. Chapter 9 The Threat

**Disclaimer: Refer to first chapter.**

Thank you for the review. I wish was like youtube in the sense that I could see how many views a story has as well as the reviews (comments)

oOo

_**Present day Amity Park**_

oOo

"That's it." Isabelle finally announced to Tracy, after a few hours of television. "I'm off to bed." She stood up and made her way to the stairs, Hector padding along at her heels. It hadn't taken the dog very long to attach itself to Isabelle. She had always had a way with animals.

"Alright. I'm going to be out later, so if you wake up and I'm not there… wait a while." Tracy said.

"Still trying to hook up 'mom'?" Isabelle joked.

"I've almost sealed the deal with this guy." Tracy insisted.

"Well I hope it goes well for you." Isabelle said before yawning. "Night." She called as she climbed the stairs. Once in her room, she changed into sweat pants and a tank top, and crawled into bed. Hector jumped up and curled up next to her. They were both asleep after a few minutes.

oOo

Cold. That was the first sensation she was aware of. Freezing cold… and wet. Covered from head to toe in a cold sweat. She slowly sat up and leaned against the wall behind her bed. She let out a shaky breath. _Why am I awake? Something must have woken me._ _Was it a nightmare?_ She tried to remember through the fog of sleep, but couldn't recall any dreams. _It must have been. Where are the covers?_ She took a quick glance around the room. The comforter had beed kicked to the foot of her bed, and Hector was standing by the door growling quietly at… her?

"Hector?" the dog barked once in response. A short yelp. "Teto?" She tried his nickname.

The dog's fur bristled. He was baring his teeth and growling, looking very intimidating. But he wasn't growling at Isabelle. His eyes were focused behind her. In one quick twist, she jumped from the bed toward the shepherd dog and turned to see what the intruder was.

Floating in the middle of her room, was The Wisconsin Ghost. Waves of cold energy were rolling off him, causing the room to freeze. She was suddenly aware of how much pressure he was exerting on the room itself with just his power.

Hector started to whine and growl.

She tried to make a dash for the door, but a dark pink wall appeared in front of it, trapping the girl and the dog in the room.

She turned back to face him as he spoke. "You will drop your investigation and leave this town."

Hector started barking madly but the dog was quickly silenced with a look from the ghost.

She looked confused, and tried to decide if it was a good idea to transform in front of him or not. "…W-what are you t-"

The pink wall slammed against her back and she was held against it with… _Telekinesis probably._ She winced and tried to focus. _What the hell kind of powers does this spook have? _She couldn't move any of his limbs.

"Forget the act. We both know what I'm talking about. I want you and your other agents out of this town." He slowly advanced and lit up his hands with his pink energy. "Or I will eliminate you all."

A knee jerk impulse caused her to react by laughing nervously. "Uh, okay… wow. " When his eyes narrowed, she kept talking. "Look, I'm with you here. I don't want to be here any more than you want me to. I don't' have the authority to-"

"I don't want to hear any of that bull. I'm sure it was a well reversed story. You will all be at least fifty miles out of town by-"

"No, look! You don't understand. I can't pull those kind of strings." She was still nervous because she couldn't tell if the ghost was calm or angry and didn't want to find out. "I'm not the one who makes those choices. I'm just a tool in the operation."

He looked surprised by that. "Oh, okay." He had a devious grin on his face then. "So what happens when a tool is broken?"

_Shit. _Her mind started reeling for something as he walked around the bed to get closer.

"Should I just do it with an ectoblast? Quick and easy… Or maybe I'll just snap your neck, hmm? That would be clean and simple. I do hate when it makes a mess."

Hector tried to take that moment to attack him, but before he could even touch the ghost, the dog was encased in a bubble of energy. Isabelle almost panicked but it was clear that the dog wasn't in any pain.

Plasmius hadn't even taken his eyes off of her. The cold of the room had changed to heat as his ectoenergy began to flow more. Now, he was only a few feet away.

"Listen! I know where you can find the person in charge." Isabelle cried as she tried to shrink into the ectoshield. Now right in front of her, he reached up...

She was about to transform and blast him as far away as possible when she heard him laugh.

"Relax, dear girl." His fingers stroked her cheek, but she was too stunned by the sudden change in behavior to react. "I'm not going to kill you now. But if you're still here in one week, I will." He was running his fingers through her hair so she tried to move out of his reach. He grabbed the back of her scalp instead and forced her to face him. "I have a message for you to deliver."

Hector was making all kinds of angry dog noises trying to escape the bubble, but both halfas ignored him. "I'm not a secretary. Why can't you do it?" Isabelle sighed, regretting the words as soon as she said them. She couldn't shrink any further into the ectoshield, so when he pressed closer to her, she found herself stuck between the ghost and his energy.

"I'm a busy man, I don't have time for some things. Listen up," He tilted her head toward his so she was completely facing him. "You tell that red specter that I don't want to see her again, or next time I won't go so easy on her."

"Red specter?" She asked, but inhaled sharply when his fist tightened in her hair.

"I thought we weren't going to play stupid, unless of course, you really are an imbecile." But when she didn't say anything, he realized he would have to elaborate.

"That she-devil ghost who wears red." His grin appeared when her eyes widened, showing razor sharp fangs. "Yes I thought you would know her."

_Oh my god he knows!_ She tried to think of how to explain this to him. Maybe she should go ahead and transform? Her thoughts were interrupted when he continued talking.

"She appeared around the same time you and your boys in white did. You tell her not to bother me… anymore." He was leaning closer in an attempt to stress each word, but with their faces inches apart, his eyes were drawn to her lips instead of her eyes. The room was getting noticeably warm by now, and she was starting to breathe heavily. She tried to look down but his hand in her hair kept her facing him. then he pulled her face closer to him.

She wasn't surprised when he started to lean in closer. She could see the kiss coming, but couldn't move or do anything to stop it. But when all he did was brush his lips against hers in a soft kiss, she jolted in surprise. He backed away wearing a smirk and a strange glint in his eyes. "Remember, one week." He said before disappearing with a puff of purpley pink smoke. A moment later, the bubble and ectowall dissolved and disappeared as well.

Isabelle backed up to the wall and slid down to sit next to the door. Hector whined and slunk over to lie down next to her. She was still getting the dog used to ghosts. Her lips were still tingling from the light contact so she chewed them while she pet Hector absently, trying to calm him. _So he doesn't know I'm the ghost..._

_That… That really just happened._ She sat there waiting for her heat to bean normally. Slowly a grin spread across her face. She couldn't get it to go away, it had a mind of its own. Hector cocked his head sideways showing his confusion. "I can't believe I never thought of it before." She sighed heavily as the room's temperature finally started to balance out.

"Red Specter." She repeated with a smile. "It's been so obvious."

oOo

Isabelle didn't return to sleep after that. She was wide awake after her encounter. So she and Hector sat on the couch and watched television. As soon as Tracy returned from her late night, Isabelle told her everything that had happened. Everything.

"A ghost, that's crushing on a human?" Tracy said with a humor laced voice. "That's been done before, hasn't it?"

Isabelle groaned. "Be serious! He was _in my room_, Trace! In my room, and touching me, and… he could have killed me. He almost did."

Seeing and sensing that her friend was distressed, Tracy stopped joking. "Calm down. You're fine! If it makes you feel better I'm, sure the Guys will set up some guards around the place at night."

"That's not good enough." Isabelle sighed, and stood up to pace. "He could _literally_, just waltz past them anytime he wanted to." She stopped her pacing but started fidgeting, and looked at Tracy with a worried look in her eyes. "I can barely hold my own against him when I'm a ghost. H-he… he was in complete control. I couldn't do anything… and..."

Tracy took that moment to grab Isabelle in an embrace. "Isabelle…" She said slowly emphasizing each syllable. "Calm down. You're just afraid right now. Here, take a few deep breaths." The two girls sat down on the couch and Isabelle did her best to calm down. Hector joined them, lying his head across Isabelle's lap. The three sat there listening to the advertisements on television for a while.

"Better?" Tracy asked after a few minutes. Isabelle nodded slowly. "Good. I'm going to call the Guys, tell them what's up. They're probably going to want you to tell them yourself. But for now, relax. He's gone, and if he comes back for whatever reason, you're not alone."

Isabelle nodded and let out a shaky sigh as she ran her fingers through Hector's fur. The dog was starting to snore as he completely relaxed. "Hector was with me." She leaned closer to the dog as she scratched his scalp. "Good boy, Teto." She whispered.

"Hey, Red?" Tracy called from behind her. "I know you don't think you're very strong, and maybe you're still afraid of using your powers still, but I've seen you grow into yourself in the time I've known you. You're stronger than you think."

"…thank you." Isabelle said quietly as Tracy went to report to the Guys in White.

oOo

_Thank you to all who are reading this story. Leave me your reviews. They inspire me to continue. And also because I love to hear what people think of my writing._


	10. Chapter 10 Lightning, Not Static

**Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters. **

Thanks to my readers for following the story this far. I've been busy (I DO have other things to attend to before hobbies) and I thank you all for your patience. On another note:

I've been trying to test my skills by drawing Vlad lately, but I don't like the way he comes out by my hand. I was wondering how many of my readers are Vlad fans (though that should be a little obvious) and how YOU draw your favorite super villain billionaire?

Lastly, still looking for a better app to do my writing on. Still having to copy and past to old files that are still on my Doc Manager... yeah.

oOo

**Isabelle's Past**

oOo

A few more months had passed since the Agents had arranged for her to continue training on her own. That being the case, a lot of the staff around the institution had been relocated. Their services no longer required. A certain doctor named William, and a certain therapist named Tracy, luckily, were thought to still have use.

But as Isabelle walked into the deserted training room, she felt a twinge of sadness at the empty space that had been occupied by people she's grown fond of in her time here. She sighed and pushed her thoughts away as she transformed. The room's temperature began to drop, but then warmed up again after she brought up a strong red flame in each of her hands. She then fired the echo energy at a target-shaped button on the other side of the room, starting up the automated training programs.

_"Please select training difficulty."_ A computerized female voice requested from the speakers around the room.

"Start at level ten and then increase by two levels every five minutes." She told the computer.

The levels where she would have to use electricity wouldn't be until after level thirty one. But not all levels after thirty one required use of the newest and most confusing of her powers. Usually she purposefully picked the levels where she wouldn't have to play with it. But she knew she had to play with it some, so today, she reluctantly decided to give it another go. She wanted to give herself some time to get in the motion before that though.

_"Level ten, beginning in 3… 2… 1…"_

oOo

A while later, Isabelle was actually sweating. As a ghost. She figured that must be saying something about how hard she was pushing herself. She had finished four levels requiring the use of the static electricity… or maybe it was lightning? The next level was another of these, and the first target she had to hit was a metal one with a yellow rim. The yellow rim meant she was supposed to use her lightning to short a small electric sensor somewhere behind it.

One problem she was used to with trying to shoot lightning from her fingertips, was getting it to go in the right direction. She had come to find electricity was an unpredictable energy, and that more often than not, it flew off in every direction except for the one she wanted it to go in.

After a few tries, she finally hit the target. But instead of retracting back into the floor so that the next obstacle could come out, it continued its medium-fast pace around the room. This was another problem she had with trying to shoot lightning.

Even though she had put a good amount of juice behind the shot, most of the energy had gone off in one or more other directions. What bit of it that had made it all the way to the target, was not enough to short the sensor.

So she continued her strategy of shooting until she made contact, and hoping that one of the few times she actually hit the target, the shot would have enough power. But as the minuets ticked by, her frustration grew until finally she exploded on the room around her. Throwing the lightning in all random directions, cursing and growling obscenities.

"How the hell am I supposed to fight anything…?" She shouted at the empty room.

_…If I can't even… hit a damn…_ She glanced over her shoulder at the target, reflecting her angry face back to her. She snapped.

She let out a feral yell and threw her whole body into a jab at the inanimate target. A burst of dark red lightning blasted from her first and middle finger that were extended to point at the object of her frustrations.

And for the first time, the electric energy flowed steady, in a straight line to the metal disk, which held the charge for a few milliseconds- glowing bright orange- before melting into a sizzling metallic puddle. The smell of burnt metal filled the room. Isabelle stood in shock, staring at the puddle, her body frozen in the action of having fired the shot.

Slowly, the orange liquid began to cool. Isabelle sank to her knees and stared at the damage she had done. The next level had started, but she was too preoccupied with the puddle of molten metal on the floor to even notice what the objective was.

"…What the f-"

oOo

Another hour had gone by before she had completed what she thought was enough training for the evening. The entire time she had tried, but could not recreate the shot. That didn't matter. The fact that she had done it once, meant it could be done again. Now, she was racing to see Will. She wanted to tell him all about this new power.

She was so excited almost phased through the door without a second thought. But common sense kicked in and she knocked instead. She was shaking with anticipation as she heard footsteps approaching the door. Then it opened.

"Will, you're never going to belie- oh…" There was a beat before she recovered from her momentary shock. "Hi, Agent K." She said with a grin. "Long time no see."

"Alexander." He sounded a professional as ever, but Isabelle could hear a hint of surprise and happiness in his voice. "What brings you here?"

_I could ask you the same thing._ She thought. "I'm here to see Dr. Kraine- this is his room- I think I'm finally getting the hang of this new power!" She tried to peer through the door over Agent K's shoulder, but he pulled the door closer to him.

"Dr. Kraine is busy at the moment. You can come back tomorrow and tell him all about it."

"Oh… okay." She nodded. "It was nice to see you again. Tell Agent O I said hi."

"Will do." He said before closing the door firmly behind him.

"Guess it's back to my room for the night…" Isabelle mumbled to herself. "Or I could just do this." She grinned, and then turned invisible and phased through the door into Will's room.

Both agents were standing next to Will, who was sitting at his small writing desk. He was holding his glasses in one hand while grinding the palm of the other into his eyes.

"…she wanted to tell you something about a new power, or something." Agent K was saying. "I told her she could come back tomorrow, we have things to discuss at the moment, and Agent O and I are on a tight schedule."

"You should have let her come in. This 'new power' as she puts it," He shook his head before finally looking up to the agents. "It's a bit out of control."

"What _is_ this power anyway?" Agent O asked.

"If what I've been researching is correct, then I believe she now has the ability to produce lightning."

"We are aware that she would be able to make electricity sooner or later." Agent O dismissed.

"I said _lightning_!" Will snapped, slamming his fist onto the table. "Not a sparkling static trick. Lightning! You can't dismiss this. Not this power, it's too unpredictable. When I'm gone, someone has to keep an eye on her- bloody hell, she's fried electronics just from sneezing."

Isabelle would have had to fight not to laugh at the last statement, if she weren't already busy being shocked from the first. _He's leaving?_

"We'll be sure that someone looks into it." Agent O assured. "In the mean time, we still have to discuss the terms of your relocation."

oOo

_A.N.: And now she has a new power to play with. Except... why haven't we seen her use it in Amity Park? Well, dear readers, the answer to that question lies in future chapters. Yay and stuff._


	11. Chapter 11 Failing Classes… Again

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

Hello.

oOo

Present Day Amity Park

oOo

"Miss Redd?"

Isabelle snapped back to reality and turned to see who had called her. Mr. Lancer was wearing a expression that she was familiar with among her teachers. He waiting for her to answer the question that she wasn't paying attention for.

_It's suck a stupid thing to do. Setting kids up for embarrassment like that. Yes, okay I was zoning out and don't know the answer… or the question. Moving on please?_ "Oh, Mr. Lancer! When did you get here?" She asked, hiding a smirk behind her best poker face.

Some of the kids were snickering, though wether it was _at_ her or _with _her, she was unsure. So she just ignored them.

"Jules Verne!" He exclaimed. "Have you heard nothing I've said since you walked in here?" He turned to point at the clock. She was already well aware of the time. "It's been nearly forty minutes."

The bell rang for lunch, but Mr. Lancer held her after to chew her out.

"What happened today is unacceptable. You're grades have been slipping, and you're not paying attention. You're already so far behind from coming in after term has started." He ranted. "Furthermore-"

"Yes, you're right." She agreed quickly. Killing his rant. "And I'm going to study tonight and I will pay attention in school, join the glee club- whatever I have to do to pass." Hoping to sound sincere. One of the easiest ways to shut up a teacher, is to agree with them.

"I'm being serious."

"So am I." She replied before he should start up again.

"Good." He said.

Isabelle relaxed, and started to leave but her stopped her. "One more thing, bring your parents tomorrow for a meeting."

She sighed. "Yes, sir."

oOo

Some of the kids cheered a bit when she entered the lunchroom. Her face turned scarlet and she quickly joined Danny and his friends.

"What's that about?" She asked, sliding into a seat next to Tucker.

"Immature children are easily excited over the littlest things." Sam said, earning her a snicker from the… much… older girl.

"What she means is, good job putting Mr. Lancer in the spotlight like that! He looked like he was going to blow a fuse!"

"I shouldn't have done it though." Isabelle said after they all shared another laugh. "Not only did I get chewed out for it, now I have to bring my parents for a meeting."

"Been there. Done that." Danny said in a bored tone, but gave her a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine."

"You've been there and done that, but _your_ dad doesn't-" Sam was quietly saying to Danny, but he stopped her from continuing by covering her mouth with his hand. He glanced at Isabelle to find her staring directly at him.

"Subtle." She said sarcastically, and after a moment of thought, added "You know, you're going to have to shed some light on all this mystery sometime."

"What mystery?" Sam asked, as she started becoming defensive.

"All of it." Isabelle replied quickly. "The fact that this town is infested with and being terrorized by ghosts. Ghosts! of all things."

"Some people just have a hard time coming to terms with th-" Danny started.

"But then there's you." Isabelle interrupted, her words causing all three teens to jolt.

"W-what about m-me?"

"You had that disagreement with the new mayor the other day. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you two have some serious static between you two." She paused to let them soak her words in, before adding, "And I'm starting to think that the two problems may be related." It wasn't true, but it got the reaction she was looking for.

Looks of indignation and suddenly all three were speaking at once.

Danny. "-That's not true-"

Sam. "-You can't just make accusations-"

Tucker. "-It's not what you think-"

They were all cut off by the sharp ringing of the bell, signaling that lunch was over. "I just want answers." Isabelle said as they got up to return to class.

Danny seemed to consider her for a moment. She saw his resolve fade in through his eyes. She knew his answer before he even said it. "Okay." He sighed. "Meet us after school."

"Danny!" Sam and Tucker yelled in unison.

"Don't worry." He assured them as the four students ducked into their classroom. The conversation was over before they reached their seats.

oOo

Isabelle waited out front of the school building, trying not to look too eager, but she couldn't help glancing left and right, searching for the trio of misfits. When she finally caught sight of them, she gave Danny a small nod, and she joined him and his friends as he walked home, telling her what she wanted to know.

_Almost _ too_ easy._ Isabelle thought.

"…and then my mom and dad met Vlad in college. They were working on making ghost portal- oh, uh… like a bridge to another world- and there was an accident. Vlad was hospitalized, and… he blames my dad for it."

"Also for stealing your mom, who he thought he had ANY chance at." Tucker added.

"And for stealing my mom and that bit." Danny agreed. "But that's it. He's just still bitter at my parents."

"So how does that tie into the ghosts?" Isabelle asked. "And you?"

"Danny's parents are ghost hunters." Sam replied.

"And Vlad keeps hiring all kinds of other yahoos calling themselves "ghost hunters" in an attempt to show up my parents." Danny said.

"I-I'm sorry to hear that." Isabelle said, truly sorry for Danny's situation. They rounded a corner and Isabelle spotted a building with a giant sign on it, reading: Fenton Works. Three guesses who lived there.

"…Well, this is my stop." Danny said, giving Sam and Tucker pointed looks that Isabelle couldn't decipher. "So… I guess we'll see you at school tomorrow- bye!" He said with a quick wave and turned to leave.

Isabelle felt hurt that they were so quick to ditch her (and she thought they were beginning to get along so well too) but quickly pushed those thoughts out of her mind. After all, she wasn't _really_ their classmate.

"Wait!" She called, causing them to almost literally screech to a halt, before slowly turning to face her. "You never told me why Mr. Masters hates _you_ so much. I mean, it's not like _you_ put him in the hospital or anything."

There was a split second before Danny answered, where Isabelle watched his eyes look down and to the left. It was only for a split second, but she had been trained to spot tell tale signs of liars. But she pretended to accept his answer.

"Well, he blames my dad, so I figure it's because I'm related to him or something-" He began to awkwardly gesture with his hands. "-I really don't know."

"That's so cool that your parents fight ghosts." Isabelle said changing the subject, and Danny was more than happy to go along- a grin slowly speed across his face. Tucker grabbed his arm and started pulling him along.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Isabelle called and turned to leave. With her sensitive hearing she overheard them until they entered his house.

"Come on Danny, I think you've told her enough already." Sam said, irritation laced her voice.

"Yeah, Danny. You're getting to open around this new girl." Tucker said. He sounded concerned for his friend. "You need to be more careful." The front door closed behind them.

Putting that last bit of information away for later, Isabelle continued down the road and on her way to see the mayor.

oOo

Isabelle was surprised to walk right in and be taken back to his office. She figured he would be swamped with work, but when she entered his office he looked as if he'd been expecting her for some time. The secretary, a short twitchy guy named Harold, immediately turned and left as soon as she walked over the threshold. Presumably back to the front desk.

the door closed behind her, the handle clicking into place, leaving the room isolated from the outside world. He was sitting with his elbows propped up on the desk and hands clasped together under his chin. She stood still for a moment, silently assessing him, not unaware of his own inquiring gaze. He was the first to break the silence.

"You're late, Miss Alexander." He said with a hint of a smile. "You didn't get detention already did you?"

She granted him a smile as she walked up to his desk and took a seat in one of the chairs opposite of him. "You can call me _Agent_ Alexander." That effectively stumbled his thoughts for a moment, then he smiled and corrected himself.

"_Agent_… Alexander."

"As for my tardiness, I was socializing with a few of the other students after school."

"Did you learn anything useful?" His reply was immediate.

"Nothing I didn't already know about." She lied easily. "The town is infested with ghosts. There are a few individuals who have taken it upon themselves to… well, they have become vigilantes."

His lips curled into a smirk for a brief moment before he continued. "So how goes you hunt for said ghosts?" He asked. She noticed a glint of mischief in his eyes that was very out of place. "Captured any yet?"

"No. I have not." She replied simply. Not breaking eye contact in case he gave something else. Did he not realize how expressive his eyes were? It was like reading a book!

"Have you even… _seen_ any?"

She fought to keep eye contact, blinking slowly. "I have." That was all the confirmation he really needed, but it only seemed to pique his interest. He sat up a bit straighter and lowered his hands to rest his forearms on his desk. When she didn't say anything, he urged her to continue.

"Well? Which one was it? We do have more than a few in this town."

"He is known as the Wisconsin Ghost." Isabelle said, the memory of her encounters flashing through her mind, bringing a wave of fear through her whole body. Every nerve sparking at once. As quickly as it came, it was gone leaving her feeling helpless and angry. When she looked back up at the mayor, he wore a confused expression. One brow lifted, gaze inquiring.

"Tall, blue-green skin, devil horns for hair?" She elaborated slightly. His confused countenance fading. "Has a white cape?"

"Yes, I know who you're speaking of now." He said quickly, before leaning back in his chair and adding. "So you only saw him then?"

"Yes." She said evenly.

"So what happened?" A small smile was tugging at the corner of his lips again.

"He disappeared."

The smile disappeared too. Clearly not the answer he'd been expecting. The rest of the meeting went like that. He would start asking questions or making statements about something ghost related, and she would kill the conversation with a two or three word answer. Learning to kill conversations or deter questions, had been a part of her recent training. The Guys wanted her to always be aware of how peoples minds were working. It played a major part in staying those few steps ahead. When it was time for her to go, he stood up and walked her out of his office and all the way to the front door. The placement of his hand on her back as he ushered her out didn't go unnoticed, nor did the genuine smile as he waved her goodbye. But she was oblivious to the dark menacing scowl that took his features once he was back inside his office.

oOo

_A.N. Well, as always, thank you for reading. Please leave your comments and questions, as they are appreciated_


	12. Chapter 12 Goodbye Will

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of its characters. I only own Isabelle Alexander.**

Thank you to my loyal reviewers! Oak Leaf Ninja, Amehhh, ChopSuzi, TMNTxMadness… you guys are great! To my newcomers: Thank you for reading! I'm glad that people like my writing.

Everyone else: …y u no review?

Also, in case nobody noticed, the electricity power I've given Isabelle, is mostly a reference to the Avatar character Azula. I've always loved the character and the show (legend of Korra also) and loved the whole shooting lightning thing too. I would like to be able to work more elemental powers into the fan fiction, but I personally don't think it would work too well.

_Chapter 12: Goodbye Will_

_**Isabelle's Past**_

oOo

A plasma ray blasted her in the shoulder, singeing her skin and sending her spinning to the floor. It wasn't the first time her lack of focus had caused her harm. Scorch marks riddled her training clothes and the burnt red skin could be seen underneath. Had there actually been anyone else in the training room, thy might've chewed her out for not staying focused… and for being in her human form.

But she didn't care. She liked the pain. The ever present sting was helping to keep her mind off of other things. She needed to be here, because she needed a distraction. Nearly ten hours of vigorous training. Just what the doctor ordered. Though… no _sane_ doctor would actually order this.

It had been a twelve days since she'd overheard the conversation between the Guys and Will. Twelve days in which she had given Will plenty of time to tell her that he was leaving. It wasn't as if she hadn't seen him. She only visited him two to three times a day, sometimes spending the night. But in all that time, he hadn't once brought it up. It hurt to know that he was leaving her. Even worse to know that he thought she _didn't_ know, and wasn't going to tell her. To top it all off, he was leaving the day after tomorrow.

She growled and winced as she stood back up, panting heavily. "Again!" She barked at the computer, and the room powered up, ready to attack her again.

It didn't take very long for her to wind up on the floor again. She rolled onto her knees and sat for a moment, panting heavily. Then stood up on shaky unsteady legs.

"Again!" She yelled to the computer, using the hem of her shirt to wipe the sweat from her face.

Instead of the whirring of gears as the room prepared to attack, there was a sound like a buzzer, followed by the electronic voice of the computer. "Program aborted."

"_What?_"

"Program override activated." The computer responded.

Before Isabelle could rain her fury on the room, a voice came from the door. Soft and endearing but with an air of authority. And also thick with an english accent.

"There are many ways to deal with your problems. But taking it out on yourself should _never_ be one of them."

She whipped around so fast that she almost lost her balance. Standing in the now open doorway, wearing an expression of grief, was Will.

She wanted to scream at him. To tell him to fuck off. Even walking past him and pretending like she hadn't even noticed him seemed like a good idea. Instead, tears began to sting her eyes.

"Will," She swallowed the thick lump in her throat. "If… if there's something you need to tell me, now would be a good time." She said in a quiet voice, despite her heavy breathing.

A look of shock flashed across his features four a brief moment, before it turned to guilt. A few times, he tried to say something, but each time he caught himself, until he finally stared at the floor, his teeth clenched together. _He can't even look at me._ She realized. As the tears began to overflow, she pushed past him and walked into the hall.

She hadn't taken four steps when a firm hand grasped her shoulder, pulled her back into the room and spun her around to face him.

"Isabelle… I-I'm leaving-"

"Don't bother, I already know." She pulled out of his grasp but didn't leave. If the hurt wasn't already evident in her voice, the tears streaming down her face showed it.

"…I've gathered as much." Will said quietly. "How did you kno-"

"You weren't going to tell me, were you?"

"I was! I just- how do you break it to someone- what was I supposed to do?" He was gesturing wildly, and obviously becoming flustered.

"You were supposed to tell me as soon as you found out. Not ignore me for a week and wait until the last minute!" She tried to wipe the tears out of her eyes, but more quickly replaced them. "You leave in two days. Didn't you want to see me before you left? Do I not matter to you?"

He sighed heavily. "I think you're blowing this out of proportion-"

"Do you even love me?"

There was a moment of silence before he replied. A moment in which he stared intently at her, as if weighing options. Finally he replied. "Is that what you thought this was? Love?"

Isabelle stepped back looking as if she'd been slapped. "No… I didn't. But I thought-"

"What? That we could come out with our relationship? Maybe even get married when this was all over? This was nothing more than a _fling_!" He watched as she shrunk into the wall behind her. "Besides, if the Guys in White had known about us I would have been sent away a long time ago."

"You don't mean that." Isabelle said quietly.

"Of course I do. Interoffice relationships are strictly forbi-"

"You don't mean," She said firmly. "…that you don't care about me."

His eyes flitted to the left, then back to her before he replied. "How could I care about… about some _creature_? A lab rat?"

It was a lie, and they both knew it. But the words still stung, and before she realized what had happened, her eyes had turned blood red. She pointed at him accusingly. "You _DON'T_ mean that!" She shouted.

Even though she hadn't been in her ghost form, and even though she wasn't even trying to, her powers seemed to have a mind of their own. Especially since they were attached to her emotions. Maybe if she hadn't been so upset, and maybe if William hadn't actually been madly in love with her, things might have gone differently.

But fate had other plans for the unfortunate couple. And when her uncontrollable new power manifested itself in that moment, the lightning bolt leapt from her fingertips, straight to his chest.

He flew a few feet before landing in a crumpled heap on the floor. Isabelle's eyes were as wide as saucers, and her hands smacked over her mouth. _Oh my god._

Every emotion that she'd been feeling just seconds before, were quickly replaced by fear. Fear for his life, and fear for hers. Her eyes had changed back to their natural green color. "Will?" Her voice was quiet and trembling. She could see what looked like steam rising from his body and the smell of burnt flesh reached her nose.

He didn't reply at first. But a low groan caused her to jump into action, sprinting to his fallen form and crashing to her knees beside him. She slowly turned him over, afraid of damaging him any further. "Will? Please answer me!" His skin was red all over, and badly burnt in some patches. His whole body contracted as the leftover electricity resonated throughout his body.

"…Is… Isa-"

"Oh my god, Will I'm so sorry! It was an accident I swear! I didn't mean- I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do it!"

"I-I know…" He grasped her hand, weakly. "I'm the one… who's sorry." His voice was strained and raspy. "I didn't mean-" He coughed until he hacked up blood, causing Isabelle to realize her fears. "I didn't mean… w-what I said."

"Then why did you say it?"

"It's what you needed to hear." He shuddered again, and Isabelle watched as his eyes searched for her, looking around the room wildly. When his eyes finally landed on her, he squinted like he couldn't make out what he was seeing. "I-I lied… I do love you."

Isabelle wanted to say something back, but her voice had abandoned her. Instead she nodded.

"Remember that…" He said quietly. "I do… love…"

oOo

_A.N. Sorry to anyone who liked William. But in order for my character to grow, she needs some obstacles to overcome. There will only be one more chapter from this time period. I don't think it will be very long though, but now it's time for the timelines to merge_


	13. Chapter 13 Discovery

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

As I may have mentioned before, my story will not follow the episodes in chronological order. They will jump around as I see fit. I am well aware that Eye for an Eye did NOT come before Lucky in Love. If you do have a problem with this… welcome to the internet.

oOo

Isabelle jerked awake and nearly fell out of bed when she tried to stand up. Her legs were tangled in her sheets. It was still dark outside, and her clock read 3:02 AM. She sighed and made her way toward the kitchen to make some tea, hoping that the chamomile would help her sleep. Hector, loyal as ever, started to get up to follow her, but she told him to stay and he did. Curling back up on his pillow.

Normally, she would put some hot water on the stove, but tonight, she didn't want the whistling of the kettle to wake up Tracy, who would no doubt know exactly why she was up, and want to question her all about her dream. Tracy, among other things, was a certified psychiatrist. So instead, she poured some water into a mug, and placed it in the microwave, unaware that a pair of red eyes were watching her every move.

She stopped the microwave at 0:01 so that it wouldn't beep, and it was when she placed the teabag in the water, that she started losing her composure. It was Will who had started her on tea drinking anyway. And it was Will who she had been dreaming about. The night she almost killed him. He may have lived, but she ended his life as he knew it.

The electricity _she_ had shot, was what scrambled his brains. When he had finally woke, he hadn't recognized her, or anything for that matter. He'd had to relearn how to do the simplest things from walking and tying his shoes, to washing himself and reading.

Isabelle hadn't realized she was crying at first. But when she did she quickly and hardly rubbed the tears from her eyes and cheeks. And that was when Vlad Plasmius spoke from where he'd been standing.

"I didn't realize you were such a… hmm, crybaby."

In a flash, Isabelle reached for one of the drawers where a plasma gun was concealed, and aimed the weapon at Plasmius, whose double, was standing behind her and easily disarmed her, restraining her hands.

When Isabelle inhaled to scream, another Plasmius appeared and slapped a hand over her mouth.

The first Plasmius, tsked at her. "And you're supposed to be an elite agent sent to fight ghosts like me." He sneered. "You're lucky I just want to talk."

Isabelle tried to bite the hand over her mouth, but her teeth phased right through the glove and hand.

A powerful punch to her left kidney left her gagging and gasping for air, while the first Plasmius wagged a finger at her like he was reprimanding a child. "Ah, ah. We'll have none of that." She would have tried turning into her ghost half, but his next words stopped her. "I thought I told you to leave my town? Or did you think my warning was a joke?"

_Is he _still_ on about this?_ She hand over her mouth was removed so that she could reply.

"I t-told you…" She wheezed. "It's not my… call to… make. You have to go… to the Guys… in White." When she could breathe again, she continued. "Besides, I thought I had a week?"

"Changed my mind, and your friend is becoming more of a bother. Did you not give her my mess-"

He was interrupted by the sound of a plasma gun firing, and a blast of plasma to the left side of his face. The other three Plasmius' vanished in a puff of pink smoke, and Isabelle looked up to see Tracy standing in the doorway of her room, holding the still steaming gun and looking like she'd beed rudely awoken by the sound of arguing.

Isabelle took his moment of confusion to retrieve her own gun and both she and Tracy managed to run him off, plasma chasing him out the window. Hector ran into the room, to the now open window, and barked after him.

"What. The HELL. Was that about?" Tracy asked with wide eyes.

"I _tried_ to tell you guys." Isabelle said. "He was in my room the other night. What's to stop him from coming back? But NOOOO, you guys said. NOOOO, we don't have to worry about tha-"

"Okay, okay!" Tracy exclaimed. "I get your point."

"We need to move." Isabelle sighed, and walked over to the counter, placing the plasma gun back in its drawer. She picked up her cup of tea and trudged back to her room. "We need to be living in a different house by this time tomorrow."

With that she shut the door, only to have Hector run up to it and bark a few times. The door opened again to reveal Isabelle with an annoyed look on her face. "Way to ruin my dramatic exit, Teto." She said as the dog trotted in, before she shut the door again.

oOo

The Guys in White had agreed to their moving to another living space, but again when she told them about the threat to leave town, they replied with "We do not negotiate with terrorists." But she had expected this, so despite her disappointment she wasn't' surprised.

To blow off some steam, Isabelle decided to follow the example of the townspeople and try to beat the heat by visiting the water park. Though the park was crowded, she managed to find a place in the water to sit and cool off. While she was relaxing, she began profiling all the people she could see.

That was when the familiar tingling of heat coursed through her chest and she exhaled smoke. She heard a few screams and turned to see a large jet-black figure rise up in the middle of a crowd. While everyone was running around in w wild panic, she struggled to find a suitable place to turn ghost. But every time she thought she had secured a hiding place, someone would run by. Frustrated, she gave up and decided to try and fight the shadow as a human, feeling very exposed wearing only a bathing suit.

But Danny Phantom beat her to the punch, quite literally as he appeared out of nowhere and attacked the dark figure. The shadow seemed to have the upper hand though, grabbing Phantom in a massive hand and smashing him into everything around them. As he went to impale the ghost boy on a fence, out of nowhere they both crashed into the pool.

Isabelle ran up to the fence to see what would happen next. The shadow dissipated, and Danny pushed a lever, causing the water to flush down the drain, emptying the pool.

"Enjoy the trip to the sewer!" He called after it. "And if you see Monday's meatloaf, say hi for me."

Isabelle made her way around the pool to confront him, when suddenly, two familiar white rings appeared at his hips, and her blood ran cold as Danny Phantom, turned into Danny Fenton, who leapt over the fence only to be confronted by another girl- someone from their class, she couldn't remember the girls name.

"Danny!" She exclaimed. "You're the ghost boy?"

Danny blanched, and quickly turned and ran away. Isabelle sank to her knees, eyes wide with shock. All this time, she thought she was one of a kind. The only person in the world who was half dead. But no, a fourteen year old boy shared her unique ability. "There's _another_ half ghost?" She breathed. "No… NO! I have to be hallucinating, the heat has gotten to me, something!"

But as she watched the other girl who had witnessed his transformation follow him, reality wrapped it's cold grip tightly around her brain… she would later be ashamed to admit that she vomited into the now emptied pool. Thankful that there was nobody around to see.

oOo

The next day was Sunday, and though she knew that Tracy was suspicious of her, she couldn't bring herself to tell her what she had witnessed. She spent most of the day hiding in her new room. Hector rested his head on her lap occasionally, trying to cheer her up.

The next day when she went to school, she was determined to corner Danny and demand an explanation. When she finally caught sight of him surrounded by his two best friends, she lost her drive. And it wasn't because he looked like he was trying to eat his way out of his shirt.

She began trailing behind them and they were oblivious to her as they spoke.

"…lighten up? Paulina knows I'm half ghost!"

_She's not the only one._ Isabelle thought. _Someone needs to warn them about talking out loud so… loudly!_

"I mean, she _says_ she's going to keep my secret, but how can I trust her? She's a girl! Girls can't keep secrets." There was a pause before he added to Sam. "Uh, except for you, you're different!"

"Well, the good news is, Paulina's kinda dim." Sam replied. "As long as nothing else weird happens, she'll forget all about it."

Isabelle exhaled the white smoke again, meaning a ghost was near, and before she could wonder if it was Danny, the shadow figure popped out of the water fountain where Tucker had been trying to get a drink.

"So _that's_ where the sewage winds up." Sam exclaimed. "I knew it!"

"That's gross." Isabelle agreed from where she stood, only a few feet away, but she kept her eyes trained on the ghost how began flying up and down the halls, sending students running in terror.

Danny Phantom flew up above it, and Isabelle cursed herself for not paying attention to him instead. They both disappeared into the science lab, but Isabelle stayed put. She decided to let Phantom do his thing, and stuck around his friends.

"Sooo… no kidding about the ghost problem, eh?" She asked, trying to sound casual.

"Yeah, they're kind of the main attraction." Tucker joked, and Isabelle cracked a smile.

"But Phantom, he's not like the other ones." It wasn't a question, but the two teenagers nodded in agreement.

"You could say he's the local superhero."

Behind them, the locker door opened as if by itself, but then Danny Fenton stepped out. "_Danny_?" Isabelle almost shrieked, genuinely surprised. _Give the kid props for creativity, at least nobody saw him change._ "What'd you do? Fall in?"

Before he could answer, someone else interrupted. "Good job, Danny!" It was Paulina.

"Where did you come from?" Danny asked.

"Mr. Fenton, there you are!" Mr. Lancer walked up to the small group of kids. "You were due to smack the erasers five minutes ago, where were you?"

When Danny began stammering, Paulina jumped in to save him. "He was with me!" She said excitedly. "We're dating now." She zoomed up next to Fenton and linked their arms together.

All the other students in the hall expressed their shock differently. Some dropped their things, some dropped their jaws, and one kid cried "Nooooo!"

"Well, that certainly ups your street cred Mr. Fenton." Mr. Lancer said, and Isabelle fixed him with her best 'are you shitting me' look. "Mr. Foley," He continued. "You're not dating above you league, _you_ can smack the erasers." He tossed the stack of erasers to Tucker, which exploded a cloud of white dust all over him. "You two lovebirds enjoy lunch." He said as Danny and Paulina skipped off to the cafeteria, leaving behind a livid Sam and Tucker.

"You okay?" Tucker asked Sam.

"Of course I am!" She snapped. "How could I not be okay? Look how happy he is!" She growled, then turned and punched the nearest locker, leaving a rather large, fist shaped dent in it.

Isabelle was still glaring at their teacher. So many things to say ran through her mind, but each one would very likely get her expelled.

"Something you'd like to add, Miss Redd?" He asked.

"Un… believable." She said, and quickly turned to run after Danny's friends before Mr. Lancer thought to ask her anymore questions. She didn't think she would be able to hold her tongue.

When she caught up with them, she was surprised to find them sitting with a kid wearing a letter jacket. His shoulders were slumped and he looked like someone had just run over his puppy. "I was told I have to sit here now." She heard him say sadly as she approached.

"You'll never take Danny's place, NEVER!" Tucker cried.

"Uhh… hey, you guys." Isabelle said, talking more to Sam and Tucker. "How're you holding up?"

They didn't reply, only sighed heavily.

oOo

As the next few days progressed, Kwan (as she'd learned that his name was) actually _did_ replace Danny, or tried to. Isabelle still didn't feel that she was part of their group, and didn't try to be either. But she could tell that despite their efforts to make it work, Kwan just didn't belong with that crowd. He was a "cool" guy, he didn't know how to be in the out group.

But then the following day, it was like someone had pushed the reset button. Kwan was back in the popular group, Danny was hanging out with his friends again, and he and Paulina had apparently broken up.

She had had enough. It was time to take action. _Finally!_

She wrote a quick note and- using her intangibility- placed it on the inside of Danny's locker.

_Danny_

_I know your secret, and I want an explanation._

_Behind the school next to the dumpster after todays last class. Be there._

She hoped that she left no room for argument.

oOo

_A.N. So this chapter was a bit longer than most. I had to fit a lot in there. It would have actually been longer, but I decided to save the confrontation for the next chapter_


	14. Chapter 14 The Small World

Disclaimer: refer to previous chapters.

oOo

Danny paled visibly as he read the note. He read it a few more times to be sure that it _did_ say what he thought he was reading.

"Danny what's wrong?" Sam asked when she saw him.

"…No.." He moaned, and fell against the locker, the note slipped from his hands as he slid down to sit on the floor. "…No, no, no, no, NO!"

Sam, immediately snatched the note from the floor and read it. "Oh no." She copied Danny's example.

"Will someone just tell me, I'm afraid to see." Tucker said, eyeing his best friends warily.

"Someone _knows_." Danny moaned, burying his face in his hands. "Someone else knows about my ghost powers."

"Who?" Tucker exclaimed.

"It didn't say." Sam said. "The note just says to meet them after school."

"You're not going to meet them, right?" Tucker asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

"I have to!" Danny exclaimed. "I have to find out who it is. If I don't go, they might take my secret public."

"But of course, we're going with you." Sam assured.

"You can't! What if-" Danny cried.

"It's not like they told you to come alone." Sam interrupted.

"And even if they did, we'd still have your back." Tucker assured.

Danny opened his mouth to argue, but the stern expressions of his friends stopped him. He knew there was no point in arguing. They were loyal and determined.

They still had another hour of class before school let out. Back in class, they looked around for anyone acting suspicious, maybe giving sideways glances, but nothing out of the ordinary happened.

When the bell finally rang for school to let out, nobody even hurried to be the first one out. The three teenagers slowly made their way to their lockers and gathered their things. Then _slowly_ made their way to the back of the school. Danny opened the door to the outside and they all walked through.

oOo

Isabelle was more agitated than anything her "_advanced_" training had prepared her for. She almost laughed out loud in the middle of class. But she managed to keep her composure and _not_ glance at Danny and his friends, not glance at anyone for that matter. When the bell finally rang, she did her best not to rush out, but quickly made her way to the bathroom when she was clear.

There, she turned ghost and flew quickly to the back of the school, made sure that nobody was around, and changed back to her human form.

When Isabelle was sure they weren't coming, the door opened, and the three teenagers filed out.

"You!" Danny exclaimed when his eyes adjusted to the light.

"You?" Tucker asked.

"Me." Isabelle confirmed.

"Look, I don't know what you know" Danny started. "But it's probably not what you think!"

"What a relief." Isabelle smiled. "Because I _thought_ that you were half human, and half ghost. I thought you were using your powers to fight ghosts in your town with the help of your sidekicks."

"Hey! We are _not_ sidekicks." Tucker huffed.

"We're more like partners." Sam agreed.

"I'm sure that's nice. Look kid, I saw you transform the other day. That girl Paulina did too, though she doesn't seem to… remember." She fixed him with a skeptical glance. "Did you maybe… do something to her?"

"NO!" Danny yelped. "She was just overshadowed by another ghost, that's why she doesn't remember anything."

_This kid is so informative when he's scared. _The thought amused her. "Okay, okay! I believe you. You don't mean anyone harm and all that." _What's "overshadow"?_

Danny nodded. There was a moment of silence where Isabelle waited for him to continue, but just when it seemed that she would have to prod him for more information, he spoke up. "Please don't tell anyone! You don't know how hard it would make my life-"

At that line, her knee-jerk reaction was to automatically agree. "I won't tell anyone." She assured, then mentally kicked herself. Her job required that she report this, but she wasn't one to ignore her instincts. She would have to keep this a secret, and also a secret that she knew. "But you have to tell me something."

"What?" They all three answered at the same time.

"Tell me how you gained your powers."

Danny paled and his eyes immediately fell to the floor. _Interesting._ "I can't tell you that." He finally said. "I-I can't tell… I don't even know you. How can I trust you?"

"How about I share with you a secret of my own?"

"It would have to be a _pretty_ big secret." Sam retorted.

"Samantha, I would say that it's _equally_ as important as Danny's." Following her gut more than her brain at the moment, Isabelle turned ghost right in front of them.

_If I'm fired, it'll be the _least_ of my problems!_ She thought ruefully. The looks that she was receiving from the kids was enough to worry her anyway.

"You-you're one of Vlad's clones aren't you?" Danny said.

"He sent you to spy on us!" Tucker cried.

"No listen you don't understand!" Isabelle yelled, this wasn't the way she had seen this going. The next part was like a blow to the gut.

"Yeah right! We've seen you and Vlad together. You meet him sometimes after school lets out." Danny said, then he turned ghost.

"Shit!" Isabelle exclaimed before she could catch herself. But then added, "You're telling me _that_ guy… as in the mayor of this town, makes clones?" Then while they were nodding their reply, another realization dawned on her. "Half-ghost clones?" Another nod.

Finally, the whole truth dawned on her and she was overcome with a surge of anger. "That son of a bitch! _He's_ a half ghost too, isn't he?"

"As if you didn't already know that." Sam called.

"A few days ago, I was one of a kind." Isabelle said, trying to not to sound angry. "I was a half dead girl with unique ability, and today… Today there are not one, but _two_ more like me."

"Who _are _you?" Danny asked. And Isabelle suddenly didn't care about her job anymore. She felt like she had been asleep for a while, and was suddenly wide awake. Like the hands of destiny itself had brought her to clarity.

_The Guys can jump off a bridge for all I care._ She thought, before she told them about how she became what would come to call, a Halfa.

After Isabelle told her story up until she showed up in Amity Park, Danny told her an edited story about how he received his powers. But when she didn't hear anything about Vlad she prodded him.

"Tell me about Vlad. How did _he _wind up with powers as well?"

"That's not my story to tell-"

"He knows that I'm here to fight ghosts." Isabelle interrupted. "And he's visited me as a ghost while I was human, and I've fought him when we were both ghosts before." She fixed them with a serious stare. "I'm not very good with my powers, not like you two are. If you could give me _anything_, that would give me a chance, give me the upper hand…" Her voice trembled but it wasn't a ruse. "He was in my room."

"If it wasn't official to anyone before- say maybe someone living under a rock- Vlad Masters is one crazed up fruit loop." Danny said in a long monotonous sigh.

"That's a pretty accurate way to describe him, though I can think of a few more." Isabelle replied, keeping her voice and tone beneath Danny's.

"Look, I could help you… if you wanted." Danny offered, though he sounded very unsure of himself. Like even _he_ could see what a bad idea that looked like. "Teach you a few things."

"That sounds great- truly kid, awesome- and all but, I don't know if you missed that part where I said "I'm a federal agent"?" She shook her head. "Doesn't it look a _little_ suspicious, to maybe say, the Guys in White? To maybe say, Vlad Masters?" She was more than pissed to discover that the one person who annoyed her immediately from the moment she met him, and the creature she had come to fear, were one in the same.

"You can sneak out." Tucker said after a moment of silence.

Sam and Danny grew smiles and nodded in agreement. Isabelle shook her head. "Sneak out?"

"You _are_ supposed to be a teenager." Danny pointed before Isabelle could continue. And she couldn't argue, because she knew he had a point. And, though she wouldn't admit it out loud- especially to some kids!- she knew he was right. She _did_ need the help with her powers.

oOo

_A.N. Wooooooooooo~ I had to rewrite certain parts over and over. Maybe you can spot them. I don't care. I'm okay with this._


	15. Chapter 15 Impasse

**Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters**

oOo

**A few days pass since Isabelle exposed herself to Danny.**

They had scheduled to meet at Danny's house to train in his basement on says that his parents would be out, and out in Amity Park other times (mostly late nights).

She had gone to see mayor Vlad four more times since discovering his true identity. At first, she had vowed never to be in his presence for as long as she lived. But there was still a job to be done. And besides, not only did he not know that she knew about him, but _he_ didn't know about _her_. It was small, but any advantage was a good advantage. Especially when_ he _was involved.

Now that she was viewing things from a different perspective, she was paying attention to the details that she needed to be. Some might call it hyperawareness.

In his presence, she suddenly picked up on small things like, habits or nervous ticks. Things that reminded her of his other half. _How could I have been so oblivious?_ She thought as he quirked his lips into the same smirk that Plasmius had given her on more than one occasion.

"Red is a good color for you." He stated. For a moment, Isabelle thought she was caught. _He knows!_

A million different excuses and lies popped into her head at once. _We just work together. I've only met her once or twice- The Guys in White made me do it. _She opened her mouth to say any of those things, but all that came out was: "W-what?"

"Red." He said, gesturing to her clothes. The school uniform that he had forced all of the students- including her- to wear in order to deter "ghostly unfriendliness". "It's a good look for you."

"Oh." She looked down at the uniform. "These old things? Please. They're just my work clothes." She said trying to joke defensively, heart racing from the fear that she was found out. It earned her a chuckle from him that she couldn't tell if it was real or forced.

"No, really. I like it. You look nice."

"I should hope so." Isabelle said giving him a sideways glance. "_You_ did pick it out." After she said that, it dawned on her. _He's… flirting with me._ She realized. _Wait. He's _flirting_ with me? And am I flirting back?_

"I heard that you were moved." He voice tore through her thoughts. "Restationed, as you might put it."

"Relocated." She corrected. He sometimes tried to use words or slang that she was accustomed to in the agency. He was trying to sound official. She was finding him to be pretentious. "And yes, I was."

His eyes brightened. "Ah, where to?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Masters, but I'm not at liberty to disclose that information." She replied in a sweet voice. She saw the corners of his mouth twitch as his smile faltered. _Prick._

"Well, no matter." He said waving his hand dismissively. And unspoken, _I'll find out later_ hung in the air though. He quickly changed the subject to a topic he seemed to be favoring lately. Her personal life. "You've been adjusting to life here in Amity Park well. How is your relationship with the students coming along." she could almost hear Plasmius in his voice. _I know who you've been talking to._

It wasn't the words or the promise of something dark that scared her. This meant that he was scared of what she might know. A scared predator was a dangerous thing to stumble upon.

"Yeah, they're all really a great bunch of kids- the ones I've met anyway- but I'm sorry to admit that not many of the students, or teachers for that matter, are very bright."

"No I suppose children are more interested in anything _other_ than academics." He replied with a forced chuckle.

"Well, not _all_ of them anyway." She contradicted.

"Have anyone specific in mind?"

"Jasmine Fenton. She's a bright young girl." Came her immediate reply.

"Yes," He agreed after a beat. "She takes after her mother."

"Right, I understand that you personally know the Fenton's." She almost grinned as he froze.

There was a moment, where something flashed across his face, like he was struggling to control himself. His eyes stared coldly into her own. Then, it was gone.

"I have known Jack and Maddie since we were young. We were old college mates, you see." He then steered the conversation in a different direction.

For a while, anytime he tried to talk about Danny, or her encounters with him, all she had to do was mention the boys parents and Vlad would become uncomfortable. She was putting him in the spotlight and he knew it.

oOo

For the third time that night, Isabelle made her way out to patrol. Only this time she was going alone. She loved her partner but figured that her newest activity might not have room for a canine.

"Not taking Hector this round?" Tracy asked from the couch where she lay.

"No, actually he's wiped out." Isabelle replied. She felt guilty not telling Tracy where and why she was really going out. Trace was her best friend, but the less she knew, the less trouble she was in. "I'm doing this round solo." She said, waving goodbye as she walked out the door. "Later." She called over her shoulder.

She could have turned ghost and flown all the way to Danny's house. But even though it would take longer, walking was a simple task that was easily enjoyable. Like sticking your head out the window of a moving car. No wonder dogs do it.

Though after she had made it a few blocks, she finally turned ghost and flew the rest of the way invisibly. She was positive that there wasn't anyone following her, but she was hardly ever one to leave anything to chance when she had a say.

"Where have you been?" Was the greeting Danny gave her when he opened the door to her. "You were supposed to be here half an hour ago!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her inside, shutting the door firmly behind them.

"Nice to see you too kid." Isabelle replied, but when Danny continued to scowl, she apologized. "Sorry, I was hung up back home."

"What could have had you hung up?" Tucker asked as she and Danny entered the room. Sam was sitting quietly at Danny's desk.

"Pretending to be a teenager, being a secret undercover agent, being a half-ghost." Isabelle counted off on her fingers while she listed. "The list is pretty long actually. You're lucky I even made it here at all. My "mom" thinks I'm just out on patrol again."

"You mean _you're___lucky you even made it." Sam corrected. Isabelle looked over to see that Sam was fixing her with a cold stare. "_You're_ the one who needs _our_ help, remember?"

Isabelle could feel the tension radiating off the younger girl. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Sam Manson didn't like and/or trust Isabelle Redd.

Isabelle could have said any number of things to shut the girl up, or to tell her off. _She just doesn't trust you._ Isabelle thought. _It's not her fault… little bitc-_

"You're right." Isabelle said with a small nod, causing Sam's dark glare to turn into one of surprise. "I'm sure you all have better things to be doing right now," _Unlikely._ "And I really appreciate that you have taken the time to help me with my… problem." That statement alone was enough to make the gloomy girl cease her offensive behavior… for now anyway.

For most of the next five minutes, they just listened to each other complain about Mayor Masters and his new laws.

"_You're_ the reason he made us to wear this crap?" Isabelle asked, astonished when they'd told her why he was creating all of these useless, unnecessary laws.

"He's trying to make us all miserable-" Tucker stated.

"And he's succeeding." Sam grumbled.

And that was the topic until Danny's parents left and they all made their way downstairs. So, Danny had scheduled for the four of them to use the Fenton Workshop on top of the building, and their basement where the ghost portal stayed, as their training grounds. He wasn't too thrilled about having to explain to his parents who the new girl was and why she was hanging around- not that he thought they would notice.

The first time they entered the basement- the first time she saw the Ghost Portal- her mind was blown.

"What is _that_?" She pointed to a large disk like a giant silver stop sign.

"The Ghost Portal." Danny answered automatically. "It's a doorway to the Ghost Zone."

"I take it that the Ghost Zone is where these things come from?"

"Exactly." Tucker said before Danny could beat him to it.

"You'll have to show me someday." Isabelle said, not taking her eyes off the door. "Promise me that at least."

"Yeah I'll take you sometime, but right now I have a lesson to teach. I'm going ghost!" Danny announced and did just that.

"You have a battle cry?" Isabelle grinned. "That's hilarious!" She then turned ghost herself.

"You're just jealous." Danny retorted with a glare.

"I am, actually." Isabelle agreed, a grin still plaster on her face.

"Let's see what she can do." Sam called as she raised the remote and pressed a few buttons. Isabelle was brushed with a sense of nostalgia as a few target panels appeared from the walls.

"Ecto-blast, or Ectoplasmic ray." Danny explained and a green ray of plasma blasted one of the targets.

Isabelle blaster hers using one finger like a pistol. "Yeah, I've got those."

Danny looked apologetic. "I take it you've already got invisibility, intangibility, and-"

"Flying, yes. I can shoot ecto… shit from my hands. All that good stuff."

"How about turning other things invisible?" Sam asked.

"Or intangible." Tucker added.

"Can you make a shadow clone?" Danny asked.

"…Nnnnnooooo…. I can't do any of _those_ things." She answered. "But I can… actually no, never mind."

"What?" The three asked in unison.

She looked up in surprise. "Oh… well I haven't used it in _forever_ and for a very good reason… and I never even really, uh, developed it, or anything…"

"What is it?" They asked in unison again.

"I can create and manipulate… it's like electricity… like static…" _Lightning. _

"Really?" Danny asked.

"That's so cool! Let's see it." Tucker said excitedly.

"Please don't make me do it. I told you, I haven't used it in a long time, and I really don't ever want to do it again."

"Does it hurt?"

"No… well, yes, sometimes, but that's not…" She didn't know who had asked it, but she only shook her head and stared at the floor. "Look, I'll tell you. I will, but…" She glanced up for a moment but then flicked her gaze to the wall. "I just need..."

"Some time. We got it." Sam said, suddenly looking less hateful, and a little friendlier. "You don't have to tell use _now_. I mean, _we_ haven't even told you everything."

Isabelle could only nod in agreement. After she had gathered herself enough that they could move on, Danny began to show her how to extend her intangibility to other objects.

oOo

_A.N.: So I have been giving this story more attention lately than I have (and should be) giving my other story(ies) -(still have not decided what I want to do with Alternate Universe for those of you who read/want it to continue)_

_But I feel that this is because right now I am not really motivated to work on the others. Something has me in the mood for Phantom and Plasmius_


	16. Chapter 16 Reign Storm: Part 1

**Disclaimer: refer to previous chapters.**

Here. I drew another picture. gallery/#/d5a3vql

It would be nice if you took a look at it, before or after you read this chapter, and told me what you think of it. And the chapter too, I like to hear what people think of my writing as well.

oOo

_Reign Storm: Part 1_

oOo

Danny and Isabelle had come to an agreement concerning their new situation. Danny would teach Isabelle how to use her powers, and Isabelle would use them to help Danny fight the problem ghosts in Amity Park. But Isabelle's part of the deal had to wait for the first few days.

Not only did she have to cover her tracks when Tracy thought she was going on patrol, (which technically she _was_ doing) but she wanted to practice the new techniques.

"I have to have control over my new abilities before I can use them in a real situation." She explained during lunch one day.

"Oh, don't worry about that." Danny replied.

"_He_ sure doesn't." Sam added. Then to Isabelle she continued. "I think it's a good idea. We wouldn't want you to accidentally mess up a critical situation."

"…What, have I done something already?" Isabelle asked, not sure if the comment was really directed to her or at her.

"No, not you." Sam said shaking her head. "But everyone here has had their moments."

She was learning that there was much more to being a half ghost- or "Halfa" as Danny had explained- than she ever knew. What she thought were basic ghostly abilities, actually stemmed out into numerous possibilities for superpowers. Most everything the Guys in White had on the creatures, turned out to be false or not entirely true.

In the days that passed, Danny had confronted Vlad about his oppressive laws, and they were revoked. Danny wasn't being bullied by the security guards that were removed from the school, Tucker was allowed his electronics again, Sam was allowed to wear her dark gothic clothing, and Isabelle didn't have to suffer through Vlad leering at her in her outfit whenever she met him at his office. She hadn't had any encounters with his alter ego Plasmius either, but that, she assumed, was due to the fact that he still didn't know where she had moved to.

Her lessons with Danny were incredibly helpful. She was picking up things very quickly, only having to be shown how to do something two or three times before she could replicate it. Soon a few days had gone by and Isabelle was ready to try out her new powers on some real ghosts. Which is why this night, she _was_ out patrolling like she had told Tracy she would be. She and Danny flew over the town in ghost form while Sam and Tucker covered the streets below on their scooters.

"_I gotta say, having an extra ghost sure makes patrolling a lot easier._" Danny's voice came in through the device in her ear that he had given her.

"_We're definitely covering more ground faster._" Sam agreed.

"_Glad I can help._" Isabelle replied as she floated weightlessly over a building and hovered above a billboard, looking down at the streets below for any sign of trouble or ghostly activity. When she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, she continued to fly over the next few streets. She could see Danny in the distance, making his own search through the night, and as she flew over another street, she spotted Tucker making his way down it, eyes darting left and right.

That night was uneventful. They'd had time to comb through the city three times before they gave up and everyone went home. They didn't spot any ghosts for the next few days either, and Isabelle found herself getting restless. Her lessons with the younger halfa had turned into a sort of training "study group" session. Danny would continue to teach her things about being half ghost, and she would force a bit of physical training on him. The boy wasn't very physically strong, and didn't have much stamina to talk about, but he was also a fast learner, and in time Isabelle's training would help him to come a powerful force to be reckoned with- even in human form. Only if he kept at it though.

"I gotta be honest, I thought we'd have at least _seen_ a ghost by now, but there haven't even been any reports of them?" Isabelle noted one day as they were walking to Danny's house after school. She realized she might be complaining… but figured that she _was_ supposed to be a teenager, might as well milk this bit of freedom from adulthood while she could. She was sitting with Sam behind a dumpster. Not sure why they were there- she had only been walking by when she had spotted the young goth girl hiding, and decided that was a good excuse as any to go and bug her.

"It has been unusually quiet lately." Sam agreed. "I don't like it though, It feels _too_ calm, you know?"

Danny and Valerie appeared around the corner and ducked into the alley with them, both out of breath as if they'd been running.

Sam pointed at Danny. "Hiding from Dash." His immediate reply.

Sam pointed at Valerie. "Hiding from Nathan. You?" Was the other girls reply.

Sam pointed her thumb at the street where a woman was waving around a gaudy looking dress. "Sammiekins!" The woman called. "At least try it on!"

When the woman was out of site, Danny stood up. "Come on!" He called. "We can all hide in my house." The four of them sprinted for Fenton Works, Isabelle grinning as if she had lost her mind. Enjoying the short burst of speed she let out, but soon they were there.

"So what's up with this? Why are you helping her all of the sudden?" She heard Sam ask Danny.

"Eh, she hid me from Dash earlier today," He replied. "I'm just returning the favor."

"Well be careful," Sam warned as the walked up the steps. "the las thing you want to do is invite your arch enemy into your own house."

He opened the door and there was a moment of silence while Isabelle joined Danny and Sam at the door, then Isabelle heard the voice announce loudly. "Ah, hel_lo_ Daniel!" Vlad Masters called from the couch in Danny's living room.

"Too late." Sam groaned.

Everyone filed into the house, the door slamming shut behind them.

"You," Danny accused, watching the cup in his hand as he lifted it. "What are _you___doing here?"

As If to agree with her son's accusation, Mrs. Fenton instead poured the tea in his lap. "Totally valid question." She agreed.

"Ah, Maddie," Vald replied. "Still steaming?"

"You have no idea." The woman replied angrily. Then she walked away.

"Oh, you know," Vlad said out loud. "I was just passing through. Then I saw that marvelous battle suit and thought- since I can't just destroy Jack and take it, I suppose I'll just steal his secrets out from under his nose!" There was a moment of silence where Vlad looked expectantly at Jack, before both men burst out laughing. After he collected himself, Vlad wiped a tear from his eyes and continued. "I swear, I am such a josher, more tea please." He said, holding his cup up to Mrs. Fenton as she returned to the room.

The woman responded by emptying the contents of the teapot onto the mayer's head, before disappearing to the kitchen again. Jack followed his wife, an uncertain look on his face, while Vlad produced a handkerchief from his pocket and tried to dry his head.

"I don't know what you're up to _Plasmius_," Isabelle heard Danny growl to the older man, low enough so that only he should have been able to hear. "Actually… I do, you just told me."

"That's right!" Vlad announced- this time, Isabelle was sure that everyone else had heard him. "And say a word and I'll share your secret with- Ah! The young Miss Grey!" Vlad noticed Valerie standing behind Danny, and walked forward to greet her.

"You _know_ me?" Valerie asked, voicing Isabelle's own thoughts.

"How do you know her?" Danny echoed.

Before Vlad could answer, a bust of Jack Fenton began to emit a loud beep, and the eyes flashed red. Immediately Jack and Maddie dashed from the kitchen and ran over to the bust. Jack lifted the hair of the statue to reveal a red button, which he pushed, causing the portrait of the family to reverse showing a screen that read: GHOST ZONE RADAR.

A wave was pulsing from an octagon shape on the screen, and little ghost icons-that looked suspiciously like the ghosts from PacMan- moved in to where the pulse was centered. Even though she couldn't entirely interpret what she was looking at, Isabelle understood one thing. It didn't look good.

"It's the Ecto-Exodus Alarm!" Jack announced, a mix of fear and shock lacing his voice.

"The Ecto… whaty-what?" Nearly everyone asked.

"The Ecto-Exodus Alarm." Maddie Fenton answered. "An alarm that only goes off if we're about to face a massive ghost invasion!"

Isabelle watched as the PacMan ghosts on the screen got nearer and nearer to the point on the screen that she could only guess, was their current location.

"Stall them!" She heard Danny hiss before he ran out of the room.

As Jack tried to rush off to do something, Sam stuck her foot out into his path. "Uh, oops!" She announced as he fell to the floor.

As Maddie tried to go off somewhere, Jasmine Fenton dropped a textbook to the floor where her mother immediately tripped over it, sliding into the closet. "Oops." Jasmine said, but there was a hint of a smile on her face.

Just as Isabelle was about to leave the room and go ghost herself, she heard Vlad quietly say something, that caught her attention. "Looking for your ghost hunting equipment?" He asked

Isabelle froze, but her eyes snapped over to Vlad, who was addressing Valerie Grey. "Ghost hunting…" Valerie replied as she edged closer to the billionaire who was holding the young girls school bag, while Isabelle found herself a nice spot to eavesdrop from without their knowing. "How do you know about my ghost hunting equipment?" Valerie asked.

Vlad dropped her bag into her hands, before ushering the teen out the door. "Please, walk with me." The mayor said as they both walked out the door.

Isabelle wanted to go with Danny to confront the incoming ghosts, but after what she had just witnessed, decided to stalk Vlad for a while instead.

Isabelle waited a moment after they exited the door, then she excused herself to "use the bathroom" and turned ghost, before going intangible, and floating outside. Valerie and Masters were nowhere in sight. Hoping that she might be able to spot them darting around a corner or something, Isabelle too to the skies to get a better view of the street.

She had been flying around for about ten minutes by now, and _still_ no sign of Vlad Masters or Valerie Grey. It was like they disappeared into thin air.

_I should had been _right_ behind them! How far can a kid and an old guy get on foot?_

Before Isabelle could think any harder on it, a familiar warmth prickled at her sternum. This wasn't unusual, but then the heat intensified, and spread out over her chest and torso. Instead of the white smoke, it was dark, and bitter. Isabelle found herself crumpled on a rooftop, stunned by the sudden burst of pain. But as quickly as she was subdued by it, the fire eased away to a dull ache, until it finally stopped.

"What… the hell?" She rasped. "My ghost sense is on the fritz?"

Pushing herself back to her feet, Isabelle scanned the horizon, looking for something- _anything_- that would give her a clue as to where they had gone. She was so intently focused on trying to spot her targets, that she nearly jumped out of her skin when the communicator around her neck buzzed to life, and the voice of Agent K came through over the static.

"…_gent Red?"_ He called. _"Red, do you copy? Over._"

Isabelle pressed the button on the collar to activate the two-way communicator. "I'm here." She responded.

"_Good. Now get your ass back to H.Q. We have a serious situation on our hands. Over."_

"Yes, sir." Isabelle said, giving the streets of Amity Park one last look, but still finding no sign of her targets. "I'm on my way."

oOo

There wasn't any immediate danger to be worried about, when she returned to the apartment. There was, however, a high risk of danger due to the fact that they were all, smack-in-the-middle of a ghost invasion, of epic proportions. The Guy's were going to be restricting some of her freedoms until the crisis would pass, something she was already beginning to hate.

The next day at school, she reluctantly had to tell Danny that she wouldn't be able to meet them anymore until the ghost invasion was over.

"They have me under tight lock and key all of the sudden. They say it's so that if need be I can react to a situation with minimal distraction." She explained as she and Danny walked to the cafeteria. "And that's not even the worst part." She sighed.

"What else?" Danny groaned.

"I'll tell you when Sam and Tucker get here." Isabelle replied. They didn't have to wait long, the other two teens joining them as they carried their trays from the lunch line.

"Dude, you okay?" Tucker asked Danny as he walked up. He sounded worried for his friend. When Danny fixed him with a pointed stare, he quickly added. "Sorry, standard question. Late night?"

"Of course it was a late night." Danny replied monotonously. "Every ghost I know- and about a million I don't- are _loose_!"

It was at that moment, that a ghost in the form of an octopus, phased through the floor, grabbed Danny's tray of food, and phased back down into the floor. Laughing the whole time.

"Not to mention I couldn't sleep because my arch enemy was in the guest room next to me." He continued, as if the ectopus jacking his lunch was the least of his worries- which, it probably was.

"Vlad stayed over at your house?" Isabelle asked incredulously.

"Yeah." Was the only reply she heard before Valerie walked by. "Hey, Danny." She waved.

"Hey. Val." Danny replied back. His demeanor seemed more cheery.

" 'Hey, Val'?" Tucker echoed. "Isn't that the same Val whose always on a jetsled trying to pace Danny?"

"Yup." Sam agreed. "And apparently next week we're having tea and cookies with Skulker!"

"You uh, might want to bag lunch it outside." Valerie warned Danny as she walked away. "This isn't exactly the safest place for you right now."

"What makes you say that?" Danny called after her.

Dash and Kwan appeared behind him. "Hey Fenturd!" Dash baited. "No teachers around to protect you. No nerds around to hide you."

"Hey, I resent that!" Tucker cried indignantly as he stepped forward to Danny's defense. "I'm plenty nerd."

Dash replied by grabbing the technogeek's tray of food (if it could even be called that) and shoved it, and the boy, to the ground.

"Dash, take a hike will you?" Danny growled. Isabelle couldn't help but admire his boldness, even if it was stupid. "I'm way too tired to deal with you. Besides, shouldn't you be failing a test, kicking a puppy or beating up somebody weaker than you right now?"

"Come to think of it- YEAH!" Dash replied and pulled his fist back for a punch. As Dash's fist flew toward Danny's jaw, Isabelle winced, waiting to hear a thump or a crack, but nothing happened. In fact, Danny didn't appear to have been struck at all.

The youngest Fenton rubbed his chin and Isabelle almost missed the thin ectoray shoot from Danny's finger, to Dash's shoes, which melted to the floor. While Dash was struggling to lift his feet, Valerie dropped her tray and kicked it to his feet, where he lost his balance and fell face first into the food. The cafeteria erupted into cheers.

"Dude, that was sweet!" Tucker applauded.

"Yeah, but what if Dash saw something?" Sam asked.

"He's not going to see something." Danny said in an annoyed tone. "Besides, I'm tired of getting kicked around all the time. Maybe it's time I do a little kicking back!"

oOo

Later Isabelle was walking though the halls with Valerie, when they spotted the trio up ahead of them. As they approached, they over heard the tail-end of their conversation.

"Besides, she's not so bad… once you get to know her." Danny said reassuringly.

"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself, Fenton." Valerie said with a smirk. Sam and Tucker immediately turned their backs to Valerie. "What's up with them?"

"Oh, they're… really good friends." Danny replied. "Any they're just being over protective."

"Of what?" Valerie asked. "It's not like we have anything to hide." She seemed to be the only one who didn't catch the double meaning of her own words.

Isabelle watched Danny's ghost sense go off, and felt her own. "Woah!" Danny said suddenly. "I gotta jet." He announced, then turned and disappeared around a corner.

"Gotta… pee." Isabelle said and disappeared in the opposite direction. When she got to the bathroom she stashed her books under the sinks and, after making sure she was alone, turned ghost and went in search of Danny.

When she finally found him, he was standing face to face with Vlad Plasmius. "It feels good to use your powers on your enemies, doesn't it, Daniel?" Plasmius said.

Danny went ghost and blasted him through a wall. "Actually, yeah. It does." Danny said.

"Did I miss something?" Isabelle asked.

"Belle!" Danny gasped spinning around. "You startled me. Oh, uh, I just… dealt with Dash…"

"Well now we have to deal with Vlad." Isabelle replied and the both phased through the wall after Plasmius.

"Are _you_ planning to fight him?" Danny asked after they appeared on the other side. Plasmius was flying to the football field, so they both followed.

"I shouldn't, but I have to. I haven't' seen Plasmius in a while." Ahead of them, Vlad landed on the grass underneath the football goal. " Need to go pay him a… what is it again?"

"…Visit?" Danny asked.

"Beating! That's it. I need to go pay him a beating."

They landed a few feet from him. For a moment everyone exchanged a glare or a sneer. Vlad seemed to finally notice Isabelle- or Red, as she was now- but before he could comment, Danny charged at him. He easily grabbed the boy's throat. "Calm down, Daniel! I didn't come here to fight you- or you either," he added to Isabelle. "I have other things to worry about."

Just then, aloud screams were heard, and all three turned… to see that they were about to be run over by a stampede of ghosts. Soldiers from the look of it. At first, nobody said anything. They just reacted, jumping out of the way, then turning to take the offense. Shooting the skeletal soldiers.

Isabelle looked over in time to see Danny almost get creamed by a soldier, only to be saved by Vlad.

"_You're_ helping _me_?" Danny asked, incredulously. "What do you want, my mom's cell number?"

"No! But- if you wanted to give me her number-"

He was grabbed by a ghost covered in all black armor, riding a horse that was also in black. "The king's prize, return it!" The knight said.

"I don't have it," Vlad cried. "But if you join me, perhaps-" He and the Knight were both hip by a blast and thrown a few feet.

"Guess what, everybody?" Isabelle turned to see a girl with an outfit similar to her own, but with a few extras. These extra's being a hood to hide her face, a rocketsled that she was riding at full speed in their direction, and a bazooka-like gun hefted on her shoulder, and pointed at them. "The best ghost hunter in Amity Park is here, and that means you're about to get your butts handed to you!"

"She really is quite good at this." Vlad noted.

"She also thinks we're the enemy." Danny added.

"Good point." Vlad said, and dodged away from the hunter.

"Danny," Isabelle called. "Is… is that, Valerie in there?"

"Unfortunately. But, how did you know?"

"I recognized her voice." Isabelle replied, just as Valerie sped by and tackled Danny.

"Alright ghost," She held up Danny by the front of his shirt. "Start talking, what's going on here?"

"That." Danny answered, pointing to the mass of ghost soldiers- whose numbers seemed to have doubled- and the knight, who were charging the three at full speed. Before they could reach them, however, Vlad flew in between the army and the kids, split himself into three separate forms and blasted the troops.

"Whoa!" Isabelle exclaimed. Then added quietly to Danny, "Can I do that too?" His response indicated that even _he_ couldn't, or was having trouble with it.

"Uhh, thanks?" Valerie said to Vlad once he turned to face them again.

"You're welcome." Danny replied. "Look, I know this is going to be hard to believe," right then, the Knight tackled Plasmius and they both barreled into the ground below. "but _that guy_ is a problem right now. We could really use your help."

"I still don't trust you, or your spooky friend." She replied.

"You don't have to trust me. Just fight fight with me." Danny insisted, extending his hand.

After a moment, Valerie accepted his offer, and shook his hand. With that, the three flew down to help Vlad. Danny came in first and with a strong ectoblast, sending the knight flying and giving Vlad a chance to get back up. Valerie was next to attack, punching the knight square in the face. Vlad powered up both hands and send his own blast into the knight as well.

"Aren't you going to help?" Danny asked, his voice sounding annoyed.

"Well I was, but… I don't think you guys need my help." Isabelle replied.

"Fool!" the knight snarled. "All I wanted to do was seize the ring and return it to Pariah's keep, but now you give me no choice. By the authority vested in me by my lord and liege, I claim this town, now and forever, under Lord Pariah, the king of all ghosts!" With that, he removed his sword from the sheath, and stabbed it into the ground. Isabelle idly thought that that reminded her of playing Legend of Zelda on the 64, as she watched a green light emanate from the swords handle and shoot into the sky. Once the beam reached high above the city, it spread out 360 degrees, and created a dome over the entire city.

Danny's immediate reaction was to fly up to the dome. When he tried to fly through it, he stopped, as if flying into a steel wall. They were trapped. Valerie turned and flew at the knight, but he easily batted her and her rocketsled away with one sweep of his arm. She bounced a few times before landing, and when she tried to get up again, she couldn't, instead crumpling to the ground. Her suit disappeared, and where the ghost hunter once lay, was Valerie, beaten and bloody.

"Valerie!"-"My pawn!" Danny and Vlad said at the same time. When Danny's head snapped over to Vlad, the older half coughed nervously. "I mean, that poor girl." He added.

"Your what?" Isabelle snapped at Vlad after the three of them landed next to the unconscious girl. "Your _what_?"

Before Isabelle could get the answer out of him, the knight interrupted them.

"The sword is sunk

Your die now cast.

The sword removed, shall signal fast

Make reappear the ring thou hast,

or your next day, shall be your last!"

He immediately exploded into a cloud of smoke and bats that flew away in every direction.

" "The ring thou hast"?" Danny quoted. Vlad only shrugged his shoulders, but he was wearing a cat-ate-the-canary look. Isabelle took a step toward him, ready to punch him in his smug face, but once again she was interrupted.

"Children of Amity Park!" A voice called over a speaker. "Repot to the safe bosom of the Fenton Family Assault Vehicle.

"Mom!"-"Maddie!" Danny and Vlad shouted together. Then in unison they cried. "I can't let her see me like this!"

Vlad disappeared in a puff of pink smoke, and Isabelle followed Danny behind a tree where they could turn human in secret.

oOo

_A:N:. Pat yourself on the back if you caught the TeamFourStar reference!_


	17. Chapter 17 Reign Storm: Part 2

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

Sorry for the long periods of time between my updates. Things have been hectic.

oOo

Danny, Valerie and Isabelle sat in the basement of Fenton Works, it was where the action was. Action News that is. The children- plus Isabelle- sat and watched the television while the adults worked on what appeared to be a high-tech suit of armor. Isabelle whispered quietly with Danny. He was explaining that the strange burning she was feeling was her ghost sense.

It was unusual seeing Vlad _there_with the Fentons. Wearing overalls of all things. He actually looked like a regular guy. At least until he finished whatever he had been working on and was immediately back in his tux.

Isabelle smirked to herself at this. _You can take the rich boy out of the castle… or something… there was a joke there somewhere._ She shook her head. She was still mad at him, though she couldn't show it. After all, she had a role to upkeep… two in fact. Valerie disappeared upstairs where Sam and Tucker were.

"It kills you doesn't it?" She overheard Danny say to Vlad. "How much they love each other."

"I have other things to worry about, and so do you." As she and Danny watched, Mr. Fenton walked by, and Vlad stuck his foot out, effectively tripping him. "And yet I will always have time for that." He was smirking to himself but then caught Isabelle staring at him. More importantly, caught her giving him a disapproving look. For a split second she thought about hiding her expression, but dismissed the idea and continued to scowl at him. He wore an expression of one being caught with their hand in the candy jar, but before he could comment or do anything, she brushed past him and followed Danny up the stairs after Valerie.

"Hey guys," Danny waved as he reached the top of the steps. Sam immediately walked over to him and grabbed his wrist, led him to Tucker before grabbing his wrist as well, and walked both boys into a closet before shutting the door behind them. Isabelle felt a pang of jealousy and hurt for being left out, but after a moment she pushed those thoughts away. She didn't need friends. These children were more like… acquaintances.

"Sooo…" She and Valerie glanced around awkwardly. "Uhh, nice ring," She gestured to the green and black accessory on the younger girls finger. "Very retro goth."

"Thanks." That was the only answer she got, but right then her mind was abuzz. Something about what she had just said… was important. But they sat in silence for a long time watching the news.

Out of nowhere, a sudden burst of emotion concentrated in her gut. It was fear mostly, and it told her to do one thing. _Panic. There's nothing you can do, it's coming, we have to get out of here now!_

But instead of listening, Isabelle just sat there confused. More interesting in just where the hell all of this came from! Whatever it was, it felt like it was getting closer. Just when she thought she was going to jump to her feet and run for the hills, there was a brief moment of silence. It felt like the world was holding its breath, and everything was serene. Then the ground shook violently.

She and Valerie had just enough time to run outside to see the dome that was covering the city, shatter, and shards of it fell, crashing to the ground below. Behind the dome, was infinitely dark, and been, and doors. Billions of doors covering the realm like stars on the night sky.

When Isabelle turned around, Valerie was gone. "How does she keep doing that?!" She growled.

"**Citizens of Amity Park!**" A voice she instantly recognized sounded over the whole city. "**This is Jack and Maddie Fenton!**"

"**Hi, everybody!**" Maddie greeted cheerfully.

"**Malevolent spirits have pulled our entire town into a dimension known to us as the Ghost Zone!**"

There was a moment of silence and the ghost shield grew to surround what appeared to be the whole town.

"**The fact that we a currently in an alternate form of reality would be a lot cooler if it weren't for the fact that we are all in mortal danger.**"

"**For you own safety, please run under the Fenton Anti-Ghost Shield.**" Maddie instructed. "**Where our doughtier Jazz will be serving tea and cookies! And boys? She's single!**"

"**Mom!**" Jazz cried.

"**And more than anything, know this,**" Jack added. "**This is not my fault! I repeat, this is not my fault!**"

She ran back into the Fenton house and to the basement, and realized that she had absolutely _no_ idea where any of the kids were. She growled through gritted teeth. _I'm __**terrible**__ at my job._

oOo

A few hours had passed since the earthquake, and though Sam and Tucker had returned, there was still no sign of Daniel, Valerie or Vlad.

"I'm worried," Sam said as she sipped a cup of tea. "We haven't seen Danny or Valerie for hours."

"Ah, they're fine," Jack said from the stairs as he descended them. "They've been up in Danny's room, alone… for hours!"

Isabelle heard something falling through the air, and knew it was a teacup before it even crashed to the floor, breaking into many pieces and spilling the brown liquid onto the tile.

Isabelle followed the kids up to their friends room. She wasn't going to let them out of her sight again.

"Danny, you're okay!" Sam said as they all entered. "Woah, what happened to her?" she asked referring to the unconscious Valerie who looked like she had been in a fight.

"You name it!" Danny groaned. "Fright Knight, Ghost King, _Vlad_!" Danny kneeled down next to the girl. "All of _my_ enemies. Everything I thought I could handle but couldn't."

The older halfa felt the distress of the younger. "Dude, you can't blame yourself for this?" Tucker pointed out. "It's not your fault."

"Maybe not," Danny replied. "but it _is_ my responsibility."

Isabelle suddenly felt a great deal of respect for this kid who had taken it upon himself to use the powers bestowed upon him to protect his town. Whereas she was only doing it because it was her job. She realized then, that even though she was the adult, he had a lot more than ghost powers to teach her about.

Danny turned ghost and grabbed Sam and Tucker, spreading his intangibility over them and phasing through the floor. Isabelle quietly and meekly followed them to the basement where the adults began arguing over who would pilot the now finished exoskeleton. Surprisingly, everyone started knocking each other out, until the only person left was Valerie.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to step away from the suit!" Danny ordered.

"Pretty please with a cherry on top." Isabelle added, though she mumbled it and was sure that only Sam and Tucker heard the quip.

Valerie was back in her red suit, ready for battle despite her injuries. She took a defensive stance when she heard Danny. "Back off spook. I don't know how you got past the Fenton Ghost Shield, but this is my fight!'"

"No, it's not," Danny contradicted. "Not anymore!"

Isabelle glanced over to the stairs as a man appeared in the basement. "Hey!" He cried when he saw all of the unconscious townspeople. "What's going on in here?"

Sam and Tucker snuck out behind him while Valerie turned to Danny, ignoring the man. "You're not the boss of me!" She snapped.

Danny only gave her a bored expression, before snatching off her mask, and grinning. Valerie yelped and grabbed her face as if she could hide her identity with her hands. "No," Danny agreed. "but he is!"

The man, as it turns out, was Valerie's father, who wasn't too thrilled to find out that his little girl- his own flesh and blood- was risking her life to fight ghosts. He chewed her out while Isabelle and Danny made their exit, taking the suit with them.

"Daniel, you have to let me be the one to do this." Isabelle said, once they were on the roof.

"No way!" Danny laughed as he lifted the dome helmet from the top of the suit. Angry, she grabbed his arm and pulled him away from it.

"No, you don't seem to understand." She shook her head. "This is my job. It's what I do, that's why I have to be the one to do it."

"No offense, Belle, but you lack the experience I happen to have from fighting ghosts for as long as I have-"

"I've had training, Fenton, training for-"

"Not to mention the fact that you've hardly developed many of your powers," Danny added.

"You didn't really have to go there-" Isabelle mumbled.

"And the ones you do already know, you're not very good with-"

"Okay!" Isabelle snapped, hating how useless she was feeling. "Okay, but Danny, listen to me. I need to do this. I can't just sit and watch while you go off to fight a whole ghost army."

"So come with me." Danny replied. "You won't be as strong as I am with the suit, but I could use the help, all the other ghosts bailed on us."

Isabelle didn't know what he had meant by that, but automatically assumed that he was referring to Vlad.

"I was going to do that anyway, if you said no about the suit." She admitted with a sheepish grin. Danny hopped into the suit, closed the lid, and activated it.

Behind them, the door to the rooftop opened slightly, two pairs of eyes, peeked through.

"I can see you over there, you know?" Danny called to the door.

Sam and Tucker appeared and stepped toward their friend.

"Danny, _please_!" Sam tried to reason.

"Come on, guys!" Danny scoffed. "You didn't think it was always going to be as easy as shoving the Box Ghost into the Fenton Thurmos, did you? I'll be back!" He said, trying to sound reassuring.

"Your mom used the word 'fatal'." Tucker argued.

"Guys, I'll be back!" Danny repeated, but his friends only looked somberly to the ground.

"I can't make any promises to come back," Isabelle said tentatively. "But I promise that I will do my best to protect Danny. I'm not letting him go alone. I won't abandon him out there."

"But, if there's anything you wanted to say to me, now might be an excellent time to do it." Danny said, kneeling next to Sam.

Before she could say anything, red smoky clouds appeared and formed into the head of the Ghost King. "Humans!" He bellowed. "Hear my decree."

"That's our cue." Danny said. "Tuck, I'll need you to drop the ghost shield on my way out, okay?"

"Okay, be careful, dude." Tucker said before running off to take his position, Sam followed after a glance in Danny's direction.

After Danny turned ghost, changing the suit to bear his emblem, Isabelle followed him through the shield- which dropped behind them- and out to the Ghost Zone.

Isabelle was surprised to immediately spot the ghost army. "There's no chance that this whole thing can be resolved with words, is there?" She asked Danny in a flat tone.

"Maybe if we try to pick them off one at a time?" Danny suggested and pointed one massive robot finger at them. A tiny ball of light popped out and landed at the feet of some of them. At first nothing happened, and Isabelle was about to announce that they were screwed. A huge explosion annihilated a hugh portion of them.

"Seems like a plan." Isabelle smiled.

"One hundred fold, huh?" Danny laughed "That doesn't reek!" He took a stance and blasted them with the largest ectoplasmic ray that she had ever seen. "Woah." He said and doubled over for a second. "Gotta be smart about how much of my own power I use at once."

"Then allow me to lend you a hand with that." Isabelle said and began blasting the skeleton-like ghosts with her own red ray. And together they fought. Two to a million. Or maybe a billion. Most of the time they had each others backs. But soon the sheer numbers of the army was enough to subdue them. Just when Isabelle thought that it was the end, bones started flying into the air accompanied by loud crashing.

They looked up to see Sam piloting one of the Fenton's vehicles. "In general, I'm pretty apposed to violent, but I'm willing to make an exception in this case."

"Get out of here guys!" Danny snapped. "It's too dangerous for you to be here."

"We're not staying!" Tucker announced with a smile. "We're just making a delivery!" He pointed to the back of the vehicle where at the bottom, a door opened, and out fell… a bunch of ghosts that she had never seen before in her entire life.

"How did they cram all of you into the Specter Speeder?" Danny asked the ghosts after Sam flew away.

"Hey!" A girl with blue flames for hair and an electric guitar. "Ever been inside your stupid thurmos? Compared to that, it was the Taj Mahal in there."

"Less talking, more fighting!" Said a ghost who made all kinds of weapons appear on his shoulders and arms.

"I like these guys." Isabelle told Danny.

"Beware!" Cried another, wearing grey overalls. "For my place of employment has given me a new weapon!" He whipped out a roll of bubble wrap. "The bubble wrap of doom."

"I like them less." Isabelle whispered.

But with the added help. they were able to hold of the army. "Now go!" Cried the one who Isabelle came to know as Skulker. "Defeat him, so I will be free to haunt _you_ another day!"

"Guy really knows how to motivate'cha." Danny muttered to Isabelle and Ember. Then he flew into the castle that the army was trying to protect.

"Nice guitar, Rock Star." Isabelle said to Ember, before following after Danny. When she caught up with him, he was already fighting the Ghost King. The way they were fighting, she couldn't get a punch in edgewise, but figured that she would only be in Danny's way, as he was much stronger with the suit. All she could do was watch.

She watched in surprise as Danny split himself into four clones. "You have to teach me how to do that!" She called to him as he attached his enemy. He managed to lock the King in a coffin that seemed to have been made for him. Danny pushed against the coffin door, doing his best to keep it closed. Isabelle joined him, leaning all her weight into the lid.

Danny was losing strength, he was fading fast and Isabelle watched in horror as he slid to the ground next to her. "No, Danny! Hold on!" She cried. To her surprise, a hand appeared. It was holding a key, which fit perfectly into the lid of the coffin, locking it closed. "You!" She cried in a mixture of anger and disbelief.

Vlad. Floating only a few feet away. The key in one hand, and a crown in the other. Behind him were the rest of the ghosts, including the Fright Knight, who appeared to have changed allegiances.

"I don't understand." Danny, said in a weak voice.

"What?" Vlad asked. "That I used two sixteen year old pawns to turn a knight and topple a king? It's chess Daniel, of course you don't understand, but, but then you never really did."

With that said, Danny passed out.

oOo

Isabelle let Vlad take Danny home. She knew it wasn't the right thing to do- they were enemies after all- but as soon as Amity Park was brought back to the real world, her communicator sparked to life, the Guys in White ordering her back to her house.

Nothing was wrong, the Guys were just getting their panties in a wad, she figured. That night, she couldn't sleep, so she went for a stroll around the city. As a ghost, and flying. It had started to rain, but she actually enjoyed the seemingly gloomy weather.

Things were quiet now. The cool air and water felt great against her face, soothing her complicated thoughts. Thoughts that she was so lost in, that she didn't see the danger approaching until it was too late. Her ghost sense didn't even have time to go off.

Vlad had been doing the same thing that she was. Getting some fresh air after all the hassle of the day. Imagine his surprise when his newest point of interest was spotted only ten or twenty meters away from him, seemingly lost in thought. It was easy to get the drop on her. She didn't even see him coming.

He started with an ecto-blast. simple and easy. She was sent flying into a building with a sickening 'smack'. She was shocked for all of a millisecond when she realized that it was Vlad Plasmius who was attacking her. She quickly righted herself and used an ecto-shield (silently thanking Danny for his lessons) to protect herself from his next attack.

_I've been waiting for the rematch._ Isabelle thought and flew to attack him. _Time to see how much I've improved._

Their fight only lasted about ten minutes before she was becoming short of breath, and Vlad got the upper hand.

Grabbing her by the collar of her scarlet outfit, he pulled her face up to his, slinging her like a rag doll as they floated above the buildings. "Hello, there!" He greeted in mock cheer. "Didn't think you'd see me again. Thought maybe that I forgot about our last encounter?"

She brought up her fist, too fast for him to catch, and punched him right in his nose. He was quick to recover, however, and blasted her hard, not holding back. She crashed heavily into the rooftop of a building. She stood shakily, but managed to get to her feel. Vlad was in front of her, looking livid.

She screamed when he blasted her repeatedly, falling to her knees. _I guess I'm just not as strong as I thought._ She thought sadly as she lay facedown on the top of the roof, rain falling around her.

"I owe you a painful death…" Vlad said, but the rest of his sentence was lost as she passed out. She missed what he said, as well as the look on his face as she changed back into her human form…

oOo

_A.N.: So now he knows. Next chapter might be a little surprising to some, but if you think about it a bit… if you know Vlad… it won't really be that surprising. Also, yes, I did change the age of the kids from fourteen to sixteen._


	18. Chapter 18 Masters of Puppets

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

oOo

Vlad stared dumbly at the girl lying face down in a puddle of rainwater and her own blood. His previous rage quickly fading, replaced by shock. He didn't have to turn her over to see who she was. He _knew_. He also couldn't believe that he hadn't realized it before. Like an answer staring him in the face.

Did she know about _him_? He couldn't be sure. How about Danny? Did either of them know about the other? There was no way to tell, and many more unanswered questions began to fly through his mind.

He glanced around to see if anyone was watching. There was nobody. They were on a rooftop, and even with his heightened senses, he could only see about twenty feet in front of him through the pouring rain. It took all of four seconds for a plan to start forming in his mind, and for him to begin acting on said plan.

He rolled her over and checked for a pulse, startled to find it faint and fading. Her breathing was even, but sounded strained. He would have to work fast if he wanted to save her. Quickly he hefted her body over his shoulder, and teleported.

oOo

Isabelle woke groggily to the sound of an electronic beeping. Though she didn't open her eyes, she could tell she was in a large room by the way the sounds echoed. The beeping was clearly a heart monitor, as it was keeping time with the pounding in her head. Slower than what it should have been.

She felt as if she had had far too much to drink. It took a lot of effort to open her eyes, and she was blinded by the pure whiteness of the room. She could hear someone else in the room with her, but before she could even think to focus on them, she slipped back into the anodyne sea of unconsciousness.

oOo

The next time she woke up, she was wide awake. Though she felt fully rested, she also felt as if her entire body was made of lead. Her movements, though restricted, were sluggish, and very painful. Looking around through her splotchy vision, she found that she was being held in a laboratory of sorts. Strapped to an upright table. Her hands and feet appeared to be restrained by a kind of electrical or plasmic substance. Fear quickly set in when she found that turning intangible wouldn't free her from the strange restraints. She pulled weakly against it.

Trapped. On what appeared to be an operating table.

She was human, wearing her pajama pants and the tank top she usually slept in. She was beginning to study her surroundings when she heard a familiar voice.

"Ah, finally awake, are we?"

She searched with tired eyes, finding Vlad in his ghost form, floating off to her far left. Recent memories came flooding back in a rush that almost caused her to pass out again. He came around into her line of view.

"I'm surprised you survived! You're quite a fighter." Vlad mused, looking her over. "For a few moments there it was touch and go. I wasn't so sure you'd make it."

She only fixed him with a vacant, blank stare. Really, she just wanted to go back to sleep. So tired…

But now that she was conscious, Vlad was ready to talk. "So, Isabelle Alexander…" He was gazing over her, as if trying to assess what he was seeing. "You're a halfa." It wasn't a question. "How did you receive your ghost powers?" He demanded.

"How did you receive _yours_, Mr. Masters?" Isabelle retorted with a weak, quiet voice.

He looked surprised for a moment, then let out a small chuckle while shaking his head, before returning to his human form. "How did you figure me out?" He asked.

This was the first time he had ever transformed in front of her. The cat was out of the bag now, though. On both ends. Each knew the others secret. And shared it.

"I thought that I was the first… human ghost… hybrid in existence." Isabelle managed through her weakened state. "Imagine my surprise when I find… not one, but _two_ others… who share my unique abilities. It really wasn't so hard to… see the parallels."

Vlad froze for a moment while thinking over what she had just told him. "So you know about Daniel, then, hmm? Did he tell you about my other half?"

"Not on purpose." She admitted, not sure why she was being so honest with her newest worst enemy. A coughing fit hit her and she struggled to catch her breath for a moment. It hurt to breathe. It was worse when she coughed. When she was finished, she continued. "At first he accused me… of being one of your… clones."

He quirked an eyebrow at this, but didn't say anything else on the subject.

"What do you plan to do with me?" She asked softly, thinking that he was going to dispose her somehow.

"That all depends entirely on you, my dear!" Vlad said darkly, a smile suddenly appearing on his face.

He didn't say anything, maybe he expected her to throw herself at him, propose that they join forces. Instead she only blinked tiredly at him, and when he still didn't say anything, she rolled her eyes. "Well? What did you have in mind?"

His smirk only deepened- if it was even possible- and Isabelle got a sickening feeling in her gut. "I'll let you live on a single condition." He paused again, maybe for dramatic effect. "You will work for me, now." He stalked slowly closer as he continued. "You will be _my_ spy from now on- a double agent, I believe is the term."

She felt as if she's had the wind knocked out of her. _No, he can't do this…_

"I can see you need some time to think this over." he said in regards to her shocked and scared expression. "I'll be back in a while, I have some errands to run." He turned and started to walk away.

"Wait!" She called.

He turned back to her. "Have you decided already?" Surprise laced his voice.

"No, I'm no traitor! But you can't just leave me… here like this!" Her heart was racing, making her breathing ragged and shallow.

"Oh, I can, and _will_!" He turned and continued until he was out of sight. "Like I said, you need some time to _think_, about what I'm offering."

And he was gone.

oOo

Isabelle didn't remember falling asleep until she jerked awake, coughing up water. When she looked to see what had happened, she found that Vlad was back. He was holding a nearly empty cup of water, and wearing most of the liquid on his sleeves.

"Ah, good," He murmured while slinging the water off of his hands "Thought I'd lost you again. I suppose I did give you quite a thrashing, though."

She shivered against the icy air of the vast room. "What are my injuries?"

"Oh, nothing serious. The worst, I think, maybe a few bruised bones. What nearly ended you though, was the loss of blood… and plasma too."

"Plasma?" she asked confused.

"You really are new to all of this." He smirked. "But moving on, have you decided on your fate?"

The way he moved so effortlessly onto the topic made her sick. "Join you… or die." She bit out.

"No, the choices are: Work for me, or die." He corrected.

"I couldn't betray them." She said, letting her head fall back against the table.

"Who? The people who made you this way?" He scoffed. Then he turned and leaned over her. "How exactly _did_ you come across your powers? And how did the Guys in White come across _you_ for that matter?"

"That's not important-" She started to snap, but his eyes turned red, startling her as he raised his voice angrily.

"You will tell me what I want to know!" He looked like he was about to continue, but he stopped, and instead composed himself. "Look, I don't really _want_ to kill you." He looked down at her with mock sympathy, which she was able to see right through. "It would be such a waste…" he idly twirled a lock of her hair in his fingers. "Don't you agree?"

"Don't touch me." Isabelle whispered.

"I'm not going to make you… _betray_ anyone." He continued as if he hadn't heard her, though he clasped his hands behind his back. "You'll just be an informant. Occasionally I'll have you run some errands for me, but mostly you would just keep tabs on people for me."

"Keep tabs?" She sneered. "On who?"

"Don't make those faces, you're far too beautiful to stoop to that." She only groaned and rolled her eyes to that. "You'll inform me, if and when anyone speaks of me- like Daniel or the Guys in White- or makes plans against me."

"You just want me to spy on Daniel Fenton." She accused.

"Oh, please!" He waved his hands dismissively. "I have far more important things to worry about than a sixteen year old boy. And before you get on it, I'm only interested in anything the Guys in White have planned that involves me."

She was quiet for a moment, thinking about what he had said. Then, she finally spoke up, "What kinds of errands?"

He smirked, knowing that he would eventually succeed in turning her.

He explained that he would only have her doing things for him when he was otherwise busy. She pointed out that these were all things he could do on his own, that he still didn't really _need_ her for any of that. He replied by reminding her that he thought of killing her- the only other halfa besides Danny- would be considered a huge waste of her ability and talent.

A few more hours of arguing only led to the inevitable. She would have to accept his offer, or die.

"Alright. I'll do it." She sighed, already hating herself for giving in so easily. He had made a great argument though.

"Excellent!" He cheered. "One moment." He disappeared in a puff of swirling pink smoke, but was back only a few moments later. "You will wear this, if you want me to let you up." he held up a band of polished metal.

"What is it?"

"Among other things… it's a bracelet." He said simply.

"What _other things_?" Isabelle ground out, hating his evasiveness.

"It works as a communicator- which only you and I will be able to use, a tracking device so that I may locate you, and it will also read your vitals which will be transmitted to my computer for-"

"What?" She nearly screeched. "There's no way I'm putting that thing on. That's creepy as hell, man. Danny was right about you, you're a crazed up fruit loop!"

Vlad's expression darkened again, and his voice became dangerously low. "You will wear this," He held up the little device. "or the deal is off."

oOo

A few hours later found Isabelle sitting in Vlad's kitchen, rubbing the smooth metal around her wrist absent-mindedly. She was still weak from all of the blood loss, and couldn't argue when Vlad insisted that she recuperate before returning home. So he set out to make her a hearty meal. She didn't want to admit it, but whatever he was cooking smelled delicious. Her mouth watered.

"Drink this." He placed a glass of lime green liquid in front of her on the counter.

She stared at the strange concoction. "Uhh… this is _glowing_. Logic would tell me _not_ to drink something that is green, and glowing."

"I'm not going to poison you," He replied over his shoulder. "Think of it as an energy drink for ghosts."

She sniffed the liquid, but couldn't really smell anything. She took a small sip. It was cold, even though there was no ice in the cup, and tasted kind of minty, and plant-like. Before she realized what she had done, she had downed the entire cup. It had a sweet and tart aftertaste. Already she began to feel better.

When Vlad placed the plate of food in front of her, she wanted to dig right in, but she was too nervous to even pick up the fork.

"Please, eat." He gestured to the plate of food. It was pasta of some kind, with a thick, meaty tomato sauce, and covered in cheese. It looked like something from an expensive Italian restaurant. She hesitantly tried a bite. It tasted even better than it smelled. "Now, there are some things I will need to know," He started.

_And, here we go._ Isabelle thought as she chewed. She didn't say anything, but gestured him to continue.

"Your ghost powers, how did you acquire them?"

She waited until she had finished chewing her food. "I was just out of college- on my way through the air force academy- and I saw this flyer, it was just supposed to be a quick way to make some extra cash. They were looking for a certain type of person- I had to fill out this questionnaire- and I fit the description I guess. The Guys in White, injected me with a strange… green and glowing solution." She cast a glance to the empty cup. "Next thing I knew, my eyes were red and my hair was fire." She had to stop herself from continuing. Never being one to ramble, she was afraid of letting too much slip, especially since he seemed to have such an effect on her.

"The Guys in White, created a halfa?!" Vlad asked incredulously. Isabelle continued eating while he ranted. "Those incompetent… managed to… it's inconceivable." He considered her story for a moment. "What do you mean they were looking for a certain type of person?"

"I told you, I had to fill out this questionnaire, and before that I had to go through an interview-"

"What did they want to know about you?"

"Medical history, educational history, if I'd ever been out of the country, if I had any family in the area, things like that."

"And you didn't find any of that odd?"

"I didn't have to worry about that at the time." She said simply, though she knew what he was getting at. She was aware that the Guys in White would mislead people with their underhanded ways. She was aware that she had nearly been one of the casualties. "How about you? How did you acquire your abilities?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "I figured Daniel would have told you by now."

"That kid, I have a lot of respect for him." She said with a sigh. "His excuse was that it wasn't his story to tell. That I'd have to ask you."

Vlad only nodded. "Yes, we had an agreement of sorts."

She waited for him to continue, then realized he was trying to dance around the question. "How did you get your powers?" She repeated. He gave her a look, warning her not to press him on that matter, but she only shook her head. "Look, I want answers as much as you do. I'm answering your questions, the least you could do is answer some of mine."

He considered this for a moment. "There are some things… that either I'm not comfortable sharing or talking about for whatever reason," He gave her a pointed look. "and that happens to be one of the major ones."

"Then how _long_ have you had your powers?"

His chest puffed up as he got ready to rage, but instead he just growled, frustrated. "Twenty years, okay? I've been a half-ghost for twenty years." She was looking down at the almost empty plate, slightly startled by his outburst, and embarrassed for having brought it out. "And how about you, hmm? How long have you been a halfa?"

She spoke evenly. "Going on five years now." He scoffed at this, but she ignored it.

By the time their Q and A was finally over, it was close to sunrise. She hadn't had much sleep (minus the few hours she had been out and almost dying) and on a school night, no less. She had pulled all nighters before. Part of her basic military training had been to stay awake for seventy-two hours straight. But she had had a rough night, and lost a lot of blood (and plasma, apparently) during the night. When she voiced this problem to Vlad, he responded by giving her another glass of the strange green drink, which immediately energized her.

"What _is_ that stuff?" She asked after she had finished the glass and eaten everything from her plate.

"It's a special sort of juice," He explained, placing the dishes in the sink to let them soak. Right then she realized that it was only the two of them in the entire mansion. "I make it myself, from special… _ghostly_ plants that i discovered in th… somewhere."

"In the Ghost Zone?" She finished. "Yeah, I know about that place. No, I haven't been there."

He glanced sideways at her before continuing. "Yes, plants I discovered in the Ghost Zone over the years."

"Yes, well, as fun as a botany lesson _sounds_ right now, I have to get home." Isabelle said as she stood up, but immediately grasped the countertop and leaned heavily on it when her head began to spin. Vlad attempted to help her stand up, but she brushed his hand away as soon as it touched her arm. "I'm fine," she bit out.

"No, you're not." He stated, and he was right.

"Well, I'll _be_ fine then." She stood up straight when her head finally cleared. "They probably already know that I'm missing."

"No worries, my dear," Vlad said as he showed her out. "it's only been a few hours."

But she was worried, only it was because of what had transpired that night. She was now being forced to become a double agent and might have to betray the Guys or Danny, and all because of the sick, twisted fruit loop. She was his puppet now. She idly fidgeted with the bracelet as they flew over the town as a pair of ghosts. The bracelet didn't disappear like the rest of her clothes and accessories when she changed forms. Instead, her gloves appeared underneath the band.

He escorted her to her new apartment, saying that he wanted to make sure that she made it home alright, though she suspected that he just wanted to know where she lived. It didn't matter anymore, he was bound to find out sooner or later now that he had a bit of control over her. Once she was outside her window, she turned to tell him he could leave, only to watch him disappear in a puff of pink smoke.

Tracy was still asleep when she entered, but Hector had noticed her absence. He sniffed the bracelet, hackles raised and growling softly.

"I know, boy." She agreed. "It reeks of _him_, doesn't it?"

She inspected the strange accessory, looking for some kind of clasp or something. She hadn't been paying attention when Vlad placed it on her wrist, so she had no idea how to remove it. Though the closer she got to looking at it, the more she realized that there was no clasp. No way to open it anywhere. She tried going ghost, and turning intangible, but instead of phasing though her arm and dropping to the floor, it turned intangible with her. Her wrists were small, and the bracelet was only loose enough to fit a finger underneath it.

She couldn't remove the device.

oOo

_A.N.: So I was pretty excited to write this chapter, just as I know some of you (or all, or most, or none at all) were excited to read it. I've kept you waiting long enough and now, both know of the others' existence! Moving on now_


	19. Chapter 19 Torrent of Terror

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

This chapter will be a bit longer than the others. I just had a lot to put in it. It takes place during Torrent of Terror, so toward the end, I will just skip the parts that are parallel to my fanfic.

Please, please, whether you like love it or hate it, leave me a review and let me know you care!

oOo

"I need for you to no longer make any contact with me." Isabelle explained. Danny, Tucker and Sam were sitting around her at the newly re-opened Nasty Burger the following day after school. She had fallen asleep in class a few times, but once she stood up and let her blood flow, it as easier to stay awake.

"_What_?!" Danny exclaimed. They all stared, mouthes held slightly agape.

"Look, I just think that it would be in _your_ best interest," she said pointedly at Danny. "if all of you would cease contact with me."

"What the hell happened to you?" Sam asked.

"Let's just say: things have become complicated on my end." She said vaguely, glancing down at the "bracelet" on her arm.

"Whatever it is, we can help you-" Tucker started.

"No," Isabelle quickly cut him off. She hated having to do this. But she cared about these kids, and wouldn't let herself ever be used to hurt them. "There's nothing anyone can do. If you want to help me, stay away from me."

"It's Vlad, isn't it." Danny said in a low voice. It wasn't a question.

"I can't tell you." She said as she stood up. "The less you guys know, the better. I have to go."

But Danny caught up with her outside. "So, that's it then?" He scoffed as he followed her into the alley behind the building. "Our friendship meant nothing? How are you going to train from now on? I'm sure the only _other_ halfa in existence will be-"

"Shut up, Danny!" Isabelle turned on him, her eyes blazing red. She had to take a few calming breaths before they returned to her natural green. "Just, please, for your own and my safety, stay away from me." Before the younger halfa could argue with her further, she had turned ghost, and flown away.

They had avoided her the following school day, as she asked them to do. But they continued to give her sideways glances. Finally she'd had enough of catching them watching her.

She raised her hand up in the air. "Mr. Lancer may I go to the bathroom please?"

He gave her a weak glare- she _had_ interrupted him- and walked to behind his desk. "It's not normally my policy to let students wonder the halls during class, but I suppose-"

Whatever he was saying she wasn't listening. She had already stood up and was walking up to the front of the classroom to take the pass he was writing, and then she was out the door. Thankfully the bathroom was empty.

As if sensing that she would be having a moment to herself, and needing to ruin it, the bracelet gave a quick high pitched chirp. She brought her wrist up to see what it was doing, and to her surprise, a tiny screen appeared on the flatter part of the ring, picturing a tiny face of Vlad.

After a moment of staring at his face, wondering why a picture of him would pop up, her question was answered. "Ah, good, I see you're alone." His voice came from somewhere on the device. She could see his face moving to the words. Then she realized what he actually said. He could see her too.

"Geez, are you daft?" She cried. "What if I had been in class? Someone could've seen!"

"What are they going to see? I'm a tiny picture on the inside of your wrist." He contradicted. "I'm sure you heard that 'chirp', a few moments ago?"

"Yeah-"

He interrupted whatever she was going to continue with. "That was at a frequency too high for humans to hear. The only things that could hear that are animals and half-ghosts. Neat huh?" He sounded so proud and enthusiastic.

"This thing has bad news written all over it. Mr. Masters, as _interesting_ as you diabolical plans and inventions are, I'm sure you have a _real_ reason for contacting me?"

"Straight to the point, eh?" He said, the little screen was surprisingly high definition, she could make out his little smirking face perfectly. She could also see two circles on the screen. Like buttons. Once clearly was to hang up the call, the other just had a triangle on it. "Typical. Yes, I do have a more important reason for calling you at such an opportune moment. I have you first mission."

This caught her by surprise. She knew it was bound to happen, but she didn't think he'd be putting her into play so quickly. It worried her. "Okay, so what is it?" She sighed and began to pace back and forth.

"I need for you to follow one of your classmates-"

"Is is Danny?"

He paused before answering. "Yes, of course it is."

"Then you can forget it. I'm not doing anything that would potentially put these children in danger, and you can't make me." Behind Isabelle, the bathroom door opened.

"I'm not doing that, Mr. Masters, so you can just find someone else to do it."

"We had a deal, Isabelle! You work for me now, remember?"

"I don't care about that," Isabelle spat as she turned around. "You forced me into this situation and," she looked up to see Valerie standing in the doorway, with a shocked expression. "I have to go." She said, quickly pressing the button to hang up and dropping her arm to her side.

"Hi… Valerie." Isabelle said in a meek voice and waved with her other hand.

"What is that?" She pointed to the arm behind her back.

"It's not important." Isabelle made for the door, but Valerie continued to block the door.

"…You work for Vlad Masters, don't you!" The younger girl exclaimed excitedly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," She approached the girl. "Now I need to get back to class." When Valerie continued to stand in her way, Isabelle faked a left and brushed past her right and into the hall.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Valerie said indignantly, catching up with her brisk pace. "I heard you talking to him. You don't have to hide it, not from me anyway."

The only sign that she'd heard the younger girl, was a slight pause in her step. She'd almost forgotten that Vlad had this girl twisted around his finger. Valerie only continued to talk excitedly. "Really. I work for him too."

"Then talk it over with him, I'm not supposed to talk to anyone about my work." She replied and disappeared back into the classroom.

Later, Isabelle was just outside the mayors office (she had started walking in invisibly as to avoid the secretary) when she heard Valerie Grey's voice coming from within.

"Listen, whatever it is that she's to afraid to do, let me do it instead! I'm not afraid of anything." She was pressing her case intently. "Belle won't do it, but I will. I'm a great ghost fighter."

"Oh, I don't doubt your skill for a second, my dear," Vlad replied in a reassuring tone. "But the truth is, she and yourself are only two of my _secret_ and _elite_ employees," Isabelle had to keep herself from laughing at this, her "bullshit senses" were tingling. "She has a different field of work than you do," Vlad continued. "I wouldn't have you doing her job, just as I wouldn't have her dressing up in a super suit to fight ghosts. In fact, the two of you weren't even supposed to know about each other, the less you know the better!"

"Alright," Valerie sighed. "I'm sorry I discovered Isabelle was working for you. I hope I didn't mess anything up."

"Oh, not to worry, not to worry at all." Isabelle could just imagine him waving his hand dismissively. "Though I must ask the both of you not to speak to the other about what you do under my employment."

"Not to worry, Mr. Masters." Valerie echoed his words. "You can count on me."

Valerie left shortly after, walking right past the invisible Isabelle, completely oblivious to her presence. Vlad on the other hand, watched Valerie leave before he spoke up. "Were you waiting for an invitation?" He asked only loud enough for her to hear.

She returned her visibility as she brushed past him into his office and took her normal seat in front of his desk. "I came to tell you about Valerie, but I see you already know."

Vlad sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Yes, yes. An unfortunate kink, but no matter, it does not effect anything."

"I told you this thing was bad news." She held up her bracelet. He didn't say anything, and when she looked, she was a bit shocked by his expression. His face was stoic, but she could see the anger behind his eyes.

oOo

A few days later Tracy found her alone in her room crying. When asked what was wrong, Isabelle realized that she wouldn't be able to tell her the whole truth like she used to. The first friends she's made in a new place, one of them turns out to be like her, and she can't even hang out with them anymore because an evil billionaire- who also shares Danny's and her ability- plans to use some high-tech device to control her.

"I can't tell you everything," she said, brushing tears away from her cheeks, "what I _can_ tell you is: I have had to keep many secrets since coming here- it's part of my job to keep quiet about what I know-" Tracy nodded along at this. "but now I'm finding myself with a conundrum. If I do one thing, I hurt a bunch of people, if I do another, someone else will suffer."

"Unfortunately, life is full of difficult decisions." Tracy said as she rubbed her friends back, reassuringly. "But don't fret. Things have a way of working themselves out sometimes, and if not, sometimes it's for the best."

"Worst of all, I was beginning to make friends with some of the kids at the high school- a great bunch of kids too- and I had to terminate our friendship for their safety."

The psychiatrist was silent for a moment, thinking over her reply. "I can honestly say I'm proud of you. That took some serious guts and brains… something I know you for!" She joked. "But seriously, I know you'll figure out what to do. Just don't work yourself up over it."

A cup of tea and a bad movie later, Tracy had managed to lift her spirits enough that they both decided to go for a stroll around the park. The town was in the middle of a heatwave, so the girls were dressed in only tank tops and shorts. Hector wasn't happy to see them go without him, but with his thick coat, Isabelle worried about the heat being too much for him.

"Someone's going to be pissed when we get back." Isabelle said with a laugh as she closed the door.

As they walked around, Isabelle told Tracy what she could about the people she was meeting. When she got to Danny and his friends, she omitted the part about ghosts, other than his parents' occupation. But she did become a bit over ecstatic.

"Danny's just an all around great kid, I have a lot of respect for him. Tucker is his best friend. He's a techno geek, but he thinks of that term as an insult for some reason. Sam is their other friend- I think she's the real brains of their operation." They laughed a bit before she continued. "And Danny has an older sister, Jazz, and if she ran for president tomorrow, I would totally vote for her!"

"How about the mayor?" Tracy brought up. "You see him nearly every day. Or every other day. "Isabelle cringed, knowing where she was heading. "And didn't you say he was hitting on you a bit?"

"Yeah, but that was a while ago." She replied, regretting the moment she ever mentioned Vlad Masters to Tracy. "He's just an arrogant jerk."

"How so?"

"Well… I can't really repeat most the things we talk about," Isabelle said quickly, Tracy nodded in understanding though. In their line of work, some things were just on a need to know basis. "But if you were there, you could just tell." She continued as they rounded the corner to see a crowd around town hall, with news vans. "He practically radiates with 'asshole'."

They headed toward the crowd to see what all the commotion was. They got there just in time to see Vlad himself standing before the people. "I don't know, Isabelle." Tracy said. "He seems pretty hot to me."

"Seems pretty old, if you ask me." Isabelle muttered.

"C'mon, he's gotta be… ten years older than you. Tops." Tracy replied with a slight smirk. "And he's got power. Power is sexy."

Vlad was standing with a device that he claimed would end the heat wave.

"And apparently he can control the weather." Isabelle added. They watched as he aimed the "rain machine" at the sky, and soon it began to rain in Amity Park.

"Come on, let's get back home." Tracy said as she pulled her along behind her with one hand and shielded her eyes from the rain with the other.

At first, the rain machine seemed like a fantastic invention. But the next morning, the rain got much worse, and when the Mayor Masters announced that the citizens needed to board up their houses, Isabelle could only shake her head in disapproval. She didn't know what he was up to, but she could tell that whatever Vlad's plans were, he was failing miserably. But by midday, the sun had returned to the sky, but it wasn't too hot. It stayed that way all afternoon, so when it came time to meet with Mr. Masters, Isabelle figured that the worst was over. She changed her shorts for jeans, and threw on a blouse over the tank top.

When she was less than three blocks from her destination, a flash of light from an alley caught her attention, and her chest grew slightly warm and tingly. Glancing around to make sure that nobody saw her, Isabelle pulled her ectogun from its holster on her calf, and held it ready to aim. She wasn't ready for what she found in the alley.

It looked like a rip mark. A huge tear in an invisible fabric. She knew exactly what it was when she saw it, but she still couldn't believe her eyes. It was a rip in the time-space continuum. Through the hole in the fabric of reality, Isabelle could see green and place forever. Doors (most of them purple) floated in empty space as far as the eye could see.

…_The Ghost Zone._ Isabelle realized, and as soon as that thought entered her mind, her body had acted. She took off toward the tear, and dove into it like it was a pool.

oOo

As soon as she was on the other side, she became aware of the unusual gravity. It had no definite direction of pull, so she floated freely while she returned her gun to her calf, and then turned ghost. Behind her, the tear began to shrink, and she watched as it repaired itself, leaving her stranded in the strange alternate dimension.

She should have been scared. Where exactly was she? How was she going to get back? But she felt strangely calm. She felt like she needed to move. Needed to be somewhere.

_Where?_ She looked around her. "Everything looks the same," she mumbled. "like a stupid endless screensav-" She stopped short when her gave fell on an area of landscape (skyscape?) that stood out for some reason. _It seems… emptier. There's not as many doors this way._ She took off an a leisurely pace, taking time to take in her surroundings. There was nobody else in sight, but she didn't want to take any chances in this new world.

She had been traveling for a while- a few hours at most- and now in addition to being lost in the Ghost Zone, she was also tired, bored and irritable. She would have turned around to go back, but even if the tear was still there, she didn't even know from which direction she had come. While she was busy looking around, she almost missed the dark, giant clock tower set where empty space had been only moments before. Giant cogs floating free, turning of their own free will surrounded the tower, which was shaped and had the appearance of an enormous grandfather clock- not unlike the one her father had owned when she was growing up.

She flew up to the observation deck and found that a window was open, allowing her to walk inside. The inside was just as strange as the outside. It was clearly meant to be a giant clock (maybe there was a giant ghost wondering around wondering what time it was?) and yet also a building. The constant soft ticking quickly fading into background noise. Along one of the walls there was a shelf with hooks on it. On most of the hooks hung a golden medallion in the shape of a cog, each with the initials 'CW' in a sleek and elegant design.

She had just noticed a large circular screen in the middle of the room, and was walking toward it to investigate, when a voice called to her, seemingly from everywhere and inside her own mind all at once.

"I've been expecting you, Red Spectre," Isabelle whirled around and spotted a ghost floating not too far from her. "or should I say, Isabelle Alexander?"

She had never seen a ghost like him before. He was wearing purple robes, the hood covering his head, and had a staff in one hand, that had a clock set on the top. It was weird that he had a glass plate over him, revealing a hollow chest that held a pendulum, and a scar over his left eye. But the strangest thing about him, was that he didn't seem to have a definite age. One minute he was an old man, the next he was an infant, and everything in between.

Though she had never met him before, Danny had told her a bit about him, and with his appearance, it wasn't too hard for her to guess. "…Clockwork?"

He smiled slightly, but that was the only confirmation she was given. "Danny Phantom has taught you quite a bit since you came to Amity Park."

She nodded dumbly. "Yes, but… how did you know?" When he gave her a look that clearly stated 'are you serious?', she added. "Never mind. Stupid question. You say you've been expecting me?"

"For quite some time now."

"If that's the case, why did you come find me?" Isabelle asked.

"Because it wouldn't have been the proper time." Clockwork stated as he flew closer, his age continuing to change every second or so. "Everything happens for a reason, and timing is key to how things will turn out."

"…I'll be honest," Isabelle sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "that sounds like-"

"It's a gigantic pain in the ass." He finished for her. "But it has its moments."

She could only nod, knowing that she would never be able to understand his situation. "So then _you_ opened the rift and brought me here?"

"No. The bridge between our universes that you came through was a natural phenomenon. I did not bring you here."

"Then why did I come here? What if I had decided not to come to the Ghost Zone?"

"You came here because you needed to. And it wouldn't have been possible for you not to come here. The opportunity presented itself, and you jumped at it. Quite literally as I recall." He waved his staff at the large screen she had been about to look at.

On the screen, she watched herself walking to city hall, finding the rift, and then diving into it like she was a kid going down a tunnel slide. "Your curiosity was too great to resist." He explained, and she knew he was right.

"Is there a reason that I'm here then?" Isabelle stressed.

"Yes. You are here so that I may tell you a few things." He paused. "First: events in your time are beginning to line up. If they should unfold in the way they are about to, the world is on the path for a dark and twisted era."

"And you want me to stop it?"

"I want you to go about your life as normal."

"What? Then why are you telling me this?"

"So that you may understand, that your actions have consequences. It's something that you should always keep in mind whenever you say or do something."

She understood "consequences" all too well. But his cryptic manner of speaking was quickly getting on her last nerves. "Thanks for the PSA and all, but unless you have something to tell me, I'm just going to try to find my way back home."

"I'm here now to tell you that we will be in touch."

"That's it?" Isabelle huffed. "You're not going to tell me to avoid doing anything in particular or whatever?"

"I can't tell you anything that might effect the outcome." He waved his staff over the screen again and it showed Amity Park. "You need to return home now, step through the screen and you will return to a point a few moments after you left."

Isabelle turned human and stepped up to the screen. It was raining again, and she cursed herself for not grabbing an umbrella or at least a jacket. She turned back to Clockwork. "Isn't there _anything_ you can tell me? You can't just drop a bomb like that and not give me anything to go on."

"The only thing I can tell you is to trust your instincts." He said and she felt herself being drawn to the portal. As she stepped through one world to the next, she heard him call after her. "I'll contact you when the time is right." And then she was back. There was no rift or anything to show where she had come from. There was no proof that the encounter she'd just experienced had even taken place. But she knew.

The rain was coming down in buckets, and she would have to hurry if she didn't want to show up late and wet.

oOo

She showed up late and soaked to the bone. The secretary almost didn't let her in, but Vlad, who was escorting Danny, Sam and Tucker into his office, spotted her standing in a pool of rainwater and arguing with the high-pitched blonde, and she followed them into his office.

There, she discovered that in her absence, Vlad's "rain machine" was actually a device used to control a weather controlling ghost named Vortex. Vlad no longer had control over the ghost. And that Vortex had somehow transferred his abilities to control the weather to Danny, and ability that was tied to his emotions. When the topic changed to getting Vortex to return to Amity Park, Isabelle was shocked to hear that Vlad wouldn't be assisting Sam and Tucker, claiming that his status as mayor wouldn't allow him to leave.

"You can't be serious." She snorted. "You're really going to leave it to these _kids_," she thrust her arm in their general direction, slinging water as well. "to face a dangerous ghost?"

Vlad turned to her. "You and I cannot leave the town right now, and they-"

"What do you mean? I can leave if I want to. _I'm_ not mayor."

"No, but you work for the Guys in White, and _they_ might not approve of their agent running off with a bunch of teenagers to another country to fight ghosts."

She didn't have an argument for that. "But," she looked at Sam and Tucker. "They're just…" _human._ "…kids."

"We may be kids, but that doesn't mean we can't handle ourselves." Sam retorted.

"I didn't mean that-"

"We've handled worse than this before." Tucker added.

"Sam and Tuck can handle it," Danny said with an air of confidence. "But I do agree with Isabelle, so you guys will take the Speeder and whatever ghost fighting equipment you'll need."

There was no room for argument, and soon Isabelle was alone with Danny and Vlad while Sam and Tucker flew off to Venice. For the first time, all three halfa's were alone together. It would have been an ideal time for all of them to sit down and have a cup of tea while reminiscing about times that they didn't share, but Danny and Vlad were more interesting in arguing with each other like little children. At one point, Vlad must have realized how cold she was- still dripping- because he lit up the fireplace with an ectoblast and told her: "Come, please! Warm yourself before you catch something."

As soon as she was seated by the warm fire, the two males went back to seeing who had more testosterone in their system. The weather in the small office continued to alternate. Surprise gusts of wind whipping things around the room, hot and cold flashes, the works. For the most part, Isabelle decided to tune them out. They didn't even seem to have a definite topic. Just arguing to fight. She hadn't been paying attention, so she missed when Vlad said something that made Danny begin to seethe. But instead of the temperature in the room raising, it began to get colder. Mirroring Danny's current thoughts and emotions.

After a few minutes, Isabelle couldn't feel any warmth from the fire anymore, and she turned to see that it had been blown out by one of the gusts of wind. She was shivering as the water soaking her clothes began to freeze, making the fabric hard and deathly cold.

"Danny." She called, but both halfa's ignored her and continued with their banter.

"…and you just think you own _everything_, don't you?" Danny spat.

"Danny." She called again, but was drowned out by Vlad's retort.

"Maybe that's because I _do_ practically own everything. But you're too narrow-minded and naive to notice."

Isabelle wrapped her arms around herself as her teeth began to chatter. "D-Danny, please!" She managed to growl through her teeth. "Will you calm down?" Both of them turn to her with expressions that clearly said that they had completely forgotten that she was there.

"Good lord, Daniel!" Vlad exclaimed when he saw the girl shaking violently. Her skin was pale and her lips had turned blue. He quickly removed his jacket as he rushed over to Isabelle and threw it over her shoulders, pulling her against his chest and wrapping his own arms around her frozen form. "Lighten your attitude before you kill the girl." He spat at Danny.

Isabelle had a mind to push away from him- he had breached her personal bubble, and was seriously too close for comfort- but he felt so warm against her frozen limbs that she could care less who she was up against. Vlad relit the fire and continued to hold her against him as her body temperature returned to normal.

"Isabelle!" Danny choked. "I'm so sorry! I-"

"D-don't worry about it." She replied with a small smile. "No harm done. It's nothing."

"Nothing compared to what _could've_ happened." Vlad scoffed, red eyes glaring angrily into Danny's. whose own eyes turned green.

"Please… don't." Isabelle cut him off before they could start up again. "We're s-supposed to be keeping Danny happy. You know? B-because of his emotions?" she gave each of them a pointed look. "The last thing we need is for you guys to be bickering like children." She wanted to add '…and grow up.' but figured it would only anger them both again, and undermine what she had just said.

"You're right." Vlad agreed. He'd spoken softly, but with her head against his chest, she could feel his voice resonating. It was warm. She refrained from pressing her face into it, but couldn't stop the contented sigh as his body heat enveloped her.

Now, she'd never given any thought to how he might _smell_, but her first thoughts on it might have been that he reeked. He was evil, right? Bad guys tend to reflect their nastiness on the outside too. But sitting there wrapped in his arms, she found this not to be the case. On the contrary, he smelled clean. And was wearing some kind of cologne. She could practically taste it. He was assaulting all of her senses and it was driving her blissfully insane.

With her eyes still closed, she breathed in the rich scent slowly and deeply, trying not to bring attention to the fact that- _Oh my god, I'm not doing this. I'm NOT doing this! …I can't believe I'm doing this! What the hell is wrong with me?_

Slowly, her shivering died down, and her skin started returning to a normal color.

After a few minutes, she felt she was no longer in need of his presence- no matter how _nice_ it was at the moment. "You can uhh… let me up now." She could feel a slight blush creeping up on her, and she hated herself for reacting in such a way. She tilted her head so that she could face him, and waited for him to loosen his grip.

He must have noticed the blush, because he gave her one of his trademark smirks before he backed away and stood up, offering his hand to assist her.

She ignored his hand and stood up on her own, holding out his jacket for him to take back. "You hang on to it," He waved his hand dismissively as he turned toward Danny. "You're still soaking wet."

She and Danny exchanged confused looks while Vlad's back was to them. Then Danny got a sly grin on his face and quietly mouthed to her 'Watch this.'

"Hey, Uncle Vlad," Danny said in a sing song voice, and Isabelle found herself smirking slightly when she watched Vlad cringe at the nickname. "You know what would _really_ make me happy right now?"

oOo

That night while laying in bed and waiting to fall asleep, the high pitch chip alerted her to Vlad's incoming video call. Hector heard the noise and barked, though it was more like a whine, but he didn't seem to know where the noise was coming from. He soon figured it out when Vlad's voice came through the bracelet.

"Ah, good, you're awake." He said when he saw that she was looking down at him. He was in his ghost form, and she could see a tile floor behind him, but not much else. "…and so's the mutt." He added.

_Even If I _had_ been asleep, that fucking shackle would have woken me up anyway._ Ignoring the jibe at her best friend and partner, she didn't say anything, however. She just wasn't in the mood to deal with _him_. Especially after what he'd done to Danny. Instead she just waited for him to continue, and after a moment, he did.

"Meet me in the park in five minutes." He said. It was more like he ordered it though. "I have some things to discuss with you."

"What? No… What?" She shook her head and ran a hand through her loose hair. "It's the middle of the night! Can't this wait 'til tomorrow?"

"Well… yes, but-" He sighed heavily. "It's imperative that it be tonight."

"You mean morning." She replied before yawning quietly.

She heard him groan in annoyance. "It won't take long, I promise."

She looked down at his little green face on the device, contemplating telling him that his promises meant nothing to her (she really was pissed at him) but his next word caught her off guard.

"Please?"

_What the?_ "Why, Mr. Masters, did you just say 'please'? Hell must have finally-"

"Yes, Isabelle," He snapped. "I did just say please, so will you please meet me in the park in five minutes?"

"Fine." With that, she pressed the button to end the call, tossed her covers aside and turned ghost.

Hector gave a small, almost inaudible, 'woof'. She reached down and scratched underneath his collar. The dog leaned into her fingers, relishing the feel of a good scratch. "Stay boy." She said holding up a hand. "Stay.

Isabelle wasn't worried about being followed. Why should she be? The only people who would follow her were either her coworkers or the only _other_ four people in the world that knew her secret. And why would they follow her? So she didn't notice the goth girl following a few blocks behind on her scooter, always keeping her distance, but Isabelle was never out of her sight.

It wasn't hard to find Vlad once she was at the park. Her 'ghost sense' got warmer the closer she got to a ghost. And he seemed to know exactly when she had found him.

"You made it faster than I thought, but no matter." He was about to continue with something else, but was interrupted when her fist connected with his jaw. Instead he yelped in surprise and pain. "W-what was that for?"

"How could you do that to Danny?"

"Excuse me?"

"How could you blame your whole mess on Danny?" She ground out.

"I don't have' to explain myself to you." He said. He should have stopped there, but he didn't. "_You_ work for _me_ remember?"

Her ability to keep her cool in situations like these was something she considered to be one of her greatest abilities. It had been hard work to learn to control her emotions, and after the last time she lost her temper, she was determined to never do it again. But everyone had their limits. And this was the last straw. She concentrated her energy into a fist and punched him again, this time aiming for his solar plexus. "You JERK!"

Either she missed, or he had anticipated the attack- though the latter was unlikely- because he only stumbled back a few steps and hardly doubled over. Grasping his torso where she had hit him, he turned his darkened glare to her. "Do that again," He sounded a bit strained. "and you'll regret it."

"I don't care anymore." She hissed. She should have been scared, but she was too angry to feel fear. She couldn't see her own hair burn brighter with her anger, but she could feel that it got hotter.

"I'm warning you Isabelle!" He snarled. "I won't hesitate to put you in the hospital… again."

"By all means, let me give you a reason," She powered up energy to her fist again, but this time, preparing for an ectoplasmic blast. "And for the record: You and I are _not_ on a first name basis!" She fired at him, but to her surprise he only held up his hand and absorbed the blast.

_Okay, Danny has _not_ taught me how to do that. Does he even know how?_ She had to duck out of the way as he shot her own energy back to her. Then, when he charged at her head on, she took to the sky to evade.

He threw two punches at her head. She dodged the first, grabbed the second and back handed him in the face. As he turned away from her fist, his leg came up and kneed her in the side twice before she could block. She did have time to brace herself for the blows, so luckily no ribs were broken, though there was going to be some serious bruising later.

They broke away at the same time and both half's thrusted their hands forward in an ectoblast at the same time. The rays colliding in an explosion that threw both of them.

Vlad recovered first, flipping upright mid-fall and catching himself. "Last chance! Stop now or I will make you."

She ignored him and flew after him. Before she reached where he was hovering, however, he pulled out a slim metal device that had a small antennae on one of the shorter edges, pointed it toward her and…

She started falling from the sky, her muscles simultaneously contracting and relaxing all at once. No control over her limbs, and the strangest sense of déjà vu. She couldn't even get a clear thought in her head. It was over shortly after it began and it took her a moment to start flying again, and even then she could only do as much as slow her descent. Her limbs were still twitching and random muscles wouldn't work right, so when she hit the ground she immediately crumpled to the ground.

Everything hurt. Like every nerve was on fire. She did manage to continue her ghost form. He landed a bit away from her, the device still in hand. "Now before you try to attack- no wait, sit down"

She struggled to her feet and started toward him again. "I'm not finished with you." she mumbled. First she went for the device, trying to knock it out of his hands, but he was must faster than her now that she could barely move. Instead she jabbed at his head.

"Please," he said as he evaded her attacks. "stop, before you make me do something I don't want to do… and you definitely won't like it."

As if he hadn't said anything, she lifted both hands at him and fired what felt like everything she had. The ray was much bigger and hotter than anything she'd used before, surprising them both, as well as a third spectator hiding in the bushes.

Vlad barely got out of the way in time, the blast singeing his left forearm. Traces of static buzzed about the wound causing his hand to spasm.

As soon as the energy had left her fingertips, Isabelle could finally relax. She still felt strange from the electrocution, but now she could move her limbs like they were supposed to. _I absorbed… and rerouted the… excess energy.. What?!_

She didn't have time to think about it. "You asked for it!" He snarled, and pressed something on his remote.

This time it was much more painful. But it was over quicker. And when she got back up that time, she was human again. Immediately she tried to go ghost, but found that she couldn't.

"Don't bother." Vlad snapped, though he sounded remorseful. "_That_ little feature cancels out your ghost powers. You'll get them back in about four hours. I call it the Plasmius Maximus."

She continued to try going ghost, but even when she strained herself to the limit, the rings appeared, but fizzled out before they could separate. She yelled in frustration and sank to her knees, exhausted.

"I told you that you wouldn't like it." He said as he walked up to her and crouched in front of her, his cape fanning out around him. "And I didn't want to have to use that on you."

"Shut up." She said quietly. "I don't believe you, and I don't care either… I hate you."She had said it quietly, but he's heard her, and she missed the hurt look cross his features briefly. Sighing in defeat, she looked up at him and fixed him with a glare. Seeing him as a ghost, this close to her, she realized that the last time she'd seen him like this, he'd beaten her just as easy then too. "Why did you bring me out here? You said you wanted to discuss something."

His red eyes widened. "Oh… Oh, sugar cookies!" He cursed and stood up, leaving Isabelle to stare with a strange expression- a reaction to his choice of curses. "It's too late now. That doesn't matter anymore." He turned back to her and pointed to where she had entered the park. "You should- you should just go."

"What?!" She cried angrily from where she still sat on the ground. With her anger came her second wind and she easily leap to her feet. "You're an unbelievable ass!" She growled as she stormed past him. He didn't reply, only took to the sky and teleported.

"And he left me to walk all the way home, in my pajamas, alone." She muttered to herself as she strode through the park.

"You don't have to be alone if you don't mind the company." Said a familiar voice. "But you'e got some explaining to do."

Isabelle turned around as the owner of the voice emerged from behind a tree. "Sam."

_A.N.: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. As I said far above, please leave me a review, I love them and it lets me know you care! :_


	20. Chapter 20 Dinosaur Shit

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

oOo

**(Later the same night)**

In his private laboratory Vlad sat comfortably in one of the chairs, sitting in front of a large computer screen, a rosy glow across his face. But anyone who knew him would automatically know something was wrong. He sat low in the seat, slouching, and sitting kind of diagonally, leaning heavily onto one of the armrests. So much so, that his elbow hung off the armrest and onto the table next to him. A half empty glass of amber liquid (his fifth full glass that night) held loosely in his left hand, tilting so that the liquid sat unevenly in the glass, precariously close to the rim. He was grinding the heel of his other hand into his eye.

And what would drive such a confident man of power to drink away his sorrows? A woman of course. What else?

He would admit to himself that when he discovered that Danny's new friend was actually an undercover spy for the Guys in White, it sparked his interest. She was cute, witty and and a fiery attitude that he found amusing, and… (dare he think?) arousing. She posed as a challenge for him.

He knew that he might have developed a crush on the young lady, but it wasn't until he'd discovered that she was also half ghost- like him!- that he had felt something more. He wasn't in love with her, but he couldn't get her off his mind. He was incredibly unsure about these new feelings, and even more unsure about the girl. …He was NEVER unsure about something, and this unsettled him.

So he planned to do the only logical thing he could think of… or at least it seemed logical at the moment. Ask her on a date. Yes, you read correctly. A date. So, even though it had been just past midnight, he called her up on the device he had "given" her, and told her to meet him in the park. The whole thing turned into one big mess.

He took a long sip from the glass and swallowed it quickly, grimacing as it went down. _She hates me._ He thought bitterly. Reaching up to the screen, he sloppily moved his hands over to touch-screen to access his files on Isabelle Alexander. A picture of her popped up on the screen and he took a moment to gaze at it. It was one of his favorites. She was smiling- a crooked grin- hair down, framing her face, and a light blush on her cheeks. But she wasn't looking at the camera when the picture was taken. This picture was taken from one of his many mechanical bugs that he used to spy on the Fenton's, and if she knew her picture was being taken, she wouldn't have been smiling like that. But he loved that smile.

_And it'll never be directed at me._ He growled at the thought, moving on to look through his file on her. He had limited information on her. _As a matter of fact, she has _never_ smiled at me._

This realization didn't do anything to lift his spirits. He knocked back the last few swallows of his drink, then grabbed the bottle and refilled it to the brim. He had a higher tolerance to alcohol being both experienced and a halfa (his healing abilities making it a challenge to cause damage to his liver) but that just meant he could drink as much as he wanted without having to worry about alcohol poisoning or hangovers.

One of the files he came across was a video. He clicked play and watched.

_"… and when _you_ become intangible," Danny was explaining to Isabelle, "you have to focus on spreading this to other objects or people. Kind of… focus on your energy"_

Vlad scoffed as he watched Danny attempt to teach her. The youngest halfa didn't have a clue as to what he was doing. Trying to _teach_ her, when he was barely stumbling through it himself.

He_ wouldn't accept my offer to teach him… _He watched as the girl struggled in her attempt to make a soda can intangible. The video was weeks old, and she had learned this skill since then. But he still couldn't help but think that he could teach her so much more…

In a small corner of the screen, there was a monitor that showed her vital signs. Next to it, a list of recordings. He glanced at the heart monitor and immediately knew that she was stressed… even scared maybe, but could tell from her breathing that she was actually asleep. Dreaming.

"…of what?" He mumbled to the empty room. _Or who?_

If he wanted to, he could activate a call to her wrist and listen for her to talk in her sleep. (He had done it a few times before, but didn't watch for long. Feeling slightly guilty for being invasive, plus there was the possibility of her waking up.) He transmitted the beep to get her attention on his own before he ever called her. If he didn't want her too know he could hear her,she wouldn't. She mumbled words, or even full sentences sometimes, but it was mostly incoherent and didn't make any sense. Sometimes she didn't talk the entire night though.

But he didn't want to see her right now. He was busy feeling sorry for himself and angry at her and confused by the whole situation and- oh, where the hell is that bottle of scotch when you need it?!

He glanced around for a moment before his eyes landed on the glass in his hand. _Oh. There it is._ He thought before taking a hefty gulp, this time coughing a bit as fire blazed down his esophagus. He continued watching her heart and breathing until she started calming down. With a final deep breath, her heart slowed to a calmer and relaxed state.

Earlier, he had discovered that she was hardly ever calm or relaxed around him. Aways agitated, or angry. Nervous a few times. But this didn't matter to him.

None of it mattered. Because he was persistent. And she would get used to him over time. The only times he hadn't been able to get what he wanted, it was because Daniel Fenton had interfered. His eyes narrowed slightly at the thought.

No. Daniel had undermined him many times. But this was something that Vlad couldn't let Danny take from him. He needed this. He _wouldn't_ let Daniel Fenton, or anyone else for that matter, ruin this for him.

He was far from finished with her.

oOo

When Isabelle woke up, she was in the same position she had fallen asleep in. When she tried to move, she figured out why. Every. Single. Nerve. In her entire body. Screamed in protest with every slightest twitch of a muscle. Her chest felt like someone had been jumping on it, and on top of being sore all over, she had a massive migraine. To sum it all up, she felt like shit. Correction. She felt like dinosaur shit. Like she had literally gone through the entire digestive track of a t-rex, and squeezed out in a nasty heap.

The sun had barely risen, so she was surprised to be awake so early. _I've only had a few hours of sleep._ She realized as she yawned. She _felt_ like she'd only had a few hours of sleep.

Hector was on his bed (a giant pillow). He had been watching her intently all day, and his head shot off the cushion when he saw her move, and his tail thumped against the wall as she slowly sat up. He got up, stretched, shook himself, and padded over to her, happy to see she was okay. He had been worried ever since she returned last night.

Isabelle had to move very slowly, Hector trailing faithfully at her heels, just as slowly. Just as she was reaching for the handle, the door opened.

"Oh, thank god you're finally awake!" Tracy exclaimed, she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around her best friend, but immediately released her and jumped back when Isabelle yelped in pain. "Oh! Are you okay? What's going on? First you sleep all day- I can't even get you to wake up- and you're in pain."

"I.. slept all day?" Isabelle asked, her voice was hoarse. She looked back out the window. Then to the clock on her nightstand. It read: **8:23**. Back out the window. It was sunset, not sunrise. She should have been angry, and she was, but she barely had the energy to stay standing. Scratch that. She leaned against the doorframe and slid to the floor with a feeble groan. _If I ever get my health back, I'm going to kill Vlad… ah who am I kidding. That's the second time he's kicked my ass and the first time he didn't even have to use any of his own energy… I can't beat him._

Tears rolled down her cheeks at the revelation. "…I'm not strong enough." She whispered, forgetting that Tracy was crouched next to her with a worried expression.

It was an hour before Tracy had been able to move Isabelle from the floor to the couch in their living room. It wasn't more than fifteen feet, but the hardest part had been getting her up. Isabelle for the most part was non responsive, until Tracy mentioned calling the Guys in White.

"No!" She yelped, sitting up right, then groaning at the resulting pain. "No, don't call them, please!"

"Then you need to tell me what happened." Tracy demanded. There was no arguing with her.

Isabelle sighed. "I can't. It's complicated… and a very long story."

Tracy looked out the window, everything was black so instead of seeing outside, they only saw their reflections. "We have the time."

After a moment, Isabelle could only nod in agreement. She had to tell Tracy. She'd already talked about it with Sam. "Oh shit!" She exclaimed as she remembered the goth girl helping her home last night, as she explained the situation to her. Knowing that she would tell Danny and Tucker the first chance she got, she made her promise not to confront Vlad about it.

"What now?" Tracy groaned.

"I'll get to that later." Isabelle sighed. "But before I tell you anything, you have to promise me that you won't repeat what I'm about to tell you to anyone."

"Isabelle… I'm your counselor, everything between us is strictly confidential."

"I know, but you still have to promise. For my safety, and maybe even your own too, you have to promise that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

"I promise. You can trust me." And Isabelle knew that she could.

"I'm not the only person in Amity Park with ghost powers."

"Come again?"

"You heard me."

There was a long pause. Maybe a minute, maybe two. "_What?_" Tracy asked as she stood up and paced a bit. "H-how? How many more?"

"Two as far as I know."

"Who are they?"Tracy's voice was starting to sound like she was scared. "How did _they_ get their powers? Isabelle-"

"Tracy you have to calm down for me to continue." Isabelle said sternly. When Tracy returned to her seat and Isabelle thought that she was calm, she told her everything. About discovering Danny Phantom as Danny Fenton. Valerie. Vlad. And even how Vlad had captured her and forced her to work for him.

"He controls me with this." She held up her arm showing the silver band. "I can't phase through it, or slip it off." She sniffed, having been crying for a while now. "The damn thing's waterproof and practically indestructible. I've smashed it into so many things…" She chuckled lightly.

"You have to tell the Guys about this," Tracy insisted. "They can help-"

"They couldn't do anything. Not where Vlad Masters is involved." She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "Besides, if he catches me doing anything he'll just zap me."

"Zap you? Like with an ecto-ray?"

"Or with the tazer he built into my bracelet. Or this other thing that hurts even worse and takes away my ghost powers for a while."

Tracy could only stare with an expression that clearly said 'Are you shitting me?'. "That's what… is that what happened to you? When was this?"

"Yes, that's why I'm in my current state. Last night he called me, told me to meet him in the park. I don't even know what he wanted to talk about. We just started fighting."

"He called you out there to kill you?"

"No, he said he had something to discuss. _I'm_ the one who started fighting. I walked up and punched him in the face."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Tracy laughed. Before Isabelle could help herself, she and Tracy had fallen into fits of giggles.

"He's too powerful. Far too powerful. No matter what form he takes." Isabelle said with a sigh after the stopped laughing. "I can't beat him." She said sadly, but there was a fake smile on her face, as if she could only accept this.

"Now I know why you were so negative about his advances all those weeks ago." Tracy murmured, and smiled awkwardly when Isabelle glared at her, but she quickly added "No, no! I totally get it now. The man is sick."

"Twisted."

Having slept all day, Isabelle expected to be up all night, but by 11:00 she had already fallen back to sleep in her chair. Not wanting to wake her, Tracy simply pulled the lever that opened it into a recliner and covered her with a blanket.

The next day Sam called. She had tried to call her the day before, but Tracy had told them that she was sick. Now that Tracy was aware of the things she had discovered since coming to the town, Isabelle told the three teens to just come over to her house.

oOo

After Isabelle had made the proper introductions, and admitting to Danny that she had told Tracy about him, she let Danny ask his questions. Sam had already told Danny and Tucker everything that Isabelle had explained to Tracy. The kids were surprised to find that Valerie knew about her too, but less surprised to hear that Vlad had simply fed her a false story. Mostly the entire day consisted of everyone trying to convince Isabelle to let them help her. They were planning to, as Danny put it, "… go kick him around a bit! We can't let him do this to you."

"The kid's right, Red." Tracy agreed. "None of us are going to let this continue."

"Oh, okay, so you're going to- what?- Go up to him and demand that he release me?" Isabelle asked, though her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"You're darn right." Danny snapped.

"What he's doing is illegal." Sam added.

"You think he _cares_ about that?" Isabelle laughed.

"She has a point." Tucker agreed.

"Besides, it all comes back to the fact that if Vlad doesn't wan't to let me go, he's not going to." Isabelle sighed, resting her chin on the table.

"Okay." Tracy said. "So all we have to do is make him want to let you go."

"Easier said than done." Sam replied.

And she was right. Tracy made it seem so simple. And it really was, but none of them could think of a single reason that Vlad would want to let her go.

Well… Isabelle _did_ have one idea, involving Vlad's apparent feelings for her, and possibly spending time alone with him, but she sure as hell wasn't going to voice it.

After a while, their meeting had turned into a small party involving movies and popcorn, but Isabelle was thankful that everyone was finally distracted from her problem. That was until her bracelet beeped.

"Ugh! What _is_ that?" Danny yelped, covering his ears. Hector gave a low growl from where he sat next to Sam on the couch.

"What?" Tucker asked. He, Sam and Tracy were the only ones who couldn't hear it.

"That would be _him._" Isabelle snarled as she stood making her way to the door with the intent to speak with him alone, but Danny stopped her.

"Where are you going?" He called.

"I'll be right out here, I just don't want him to see you." She explained as she closed her bedroom door behind her, though she left it open a crack. Everyone got up to press their ear to the door or peek through the crack as the screen appeared on her bracelet and Vlad's voice carried through.

"Ah, you're awake I see." He said. "I tried to get ahold of you a few times yesterday but you were asleep every time."

"Yeah, imagine that. What do you want now?"

"There's no need for the attitude." He said, sounding annoyed and authoritative.

"Masters-"

"Look, I'm sorry for what happened the other night, but I told you to stop."

"And that makes it okay to electrocute me? To take away my powers?"

"They were only gone temporarily. Listen! I don't want to argue with you." There was a pause where Isabelle sighed, and watched the tiny screen as he ran a hand through his long silvery hair. "Remember why I asked you to meet me in the first place. I still have something that I would like to discuss with you. So when you have a minute, would you please come by my house?"

"I don't know. I'm kinda busy today."

"Please." There it was again. It was so strange to hear a man like him actually saying "please". She only hoped that Danny could hear it too so that he could tell her whether or not she should be worried (or sickened).

"I'll see what I can do." She replied in a flat tone. She expected him to hang up. He didn't. "Was there something else?"

There was a moment before he said anything. Like he wasn't sure how to say it. "…Yes, there was one other thing. I just want you to know, I really am sorry for the other night. It was the only way I could get you to stop attacking me. I don't _want_ to hurt you. Please understand that."

"Goodbye." She ended the call. _I bet he regrets ever adding the option for me to hang up._ She thought with a small chuckle. Behind her the door opened. _Oh right. Forgot about them._

"So as you heard, I have to meet him."

"At his house." Everyone else added in unison.

"Is that the _only_ thing any of you heard?" Isabelle huffed.

"I've known the guy a lot longer than you."Danny said. "And I've _never_ seen him like that. Well… almost never."

A moment of silence before Sam announced what was on everyone's mind, and what Isabelle had been denying. "What he's trying to say is, we all think Vlad's got a thing for you."

"And I think you're all taking crazy pills." Isabelle replied without missing a beat. But her tone wasn't of disbelief. It didn't match what she said. And they heard it too.

"Even _you_ don't believe yourself." Tracy said quietly. "You're just going to have to accept it. Is is so hard to believe that someone finds you attractive?"

Isabelle didn't have a reply for that. Instead she muttered, "…Shut up" flopped onto the couch, and said "Back when I first knew him he was hitting on me, but that's stopped."

"Maybe he just stopped being so open about it." Danny suggested.

"Yeah you can still see if if you look closely." Sam agreed.

These kids were too smart for their own good. Isabelle caved and said "Well, he may have been giving me signals lately."

"Signals like how?" Sam asked as she sat next to Isabelle on the couch.

Isabelle reached up and pushed a lock of Sam's black hair out of her face and behind her ear, then traced her jawline with her finger all the while talking. "Oh, Isabelle, how lovely to see you, won't you come into my office?" she said in her best imitation of him. "Imagine Vlad doing that to you." she told the younger girl, whose expression immediately turned to a look of pure disgust. "Eeeeww!"

Everyone laughed, even Sam.

Isabelle wanted to put off going to meet Vlad for as long as she could, so she planned to leave after the sun had set. Danny, Tucker and Sam had to return him before then- they were still children after all- and it was when they left that Tracy continued the conversation. And considering what the slightly older girl wanted to talk about, Isabelle would later thank Tracy for her descretion.

The three teens had only been gone for a few minutes when Tracy spoke. "So how long have you liked him?"

Isabelle, not understanding, gave her a confused look. "Huh?" And when Tracy repeated the question, she asked "Liked who?"

"Vlad Masters."

"Let's get one thing clear here. I _do not_ like Vlad Masters. I harbor a burning hate for him like no other."

Tracy considered this for a moment. "I can understand that. He's twisted and self-centered as I recall you telling me. But as much as you hate him, I can still see that-"

"I don't like him, Tracy."

"Yes, you're right. That was a poor choice of words. But you are _attracted_ to him."

For a long moment they just stared at each other. Isabelle trying to think of a way to deny this, but knowing that there was no use. Tracy _knew_ these things. And Tracy, was just daring Isabelle to try and use any of the millions of half-baked excuses she was coming up with. End the end, Isabelle was the one to break eye contact, with a heavy defeated sigh.

_Was_ she attracted to this guy? She thought about all the times they had interacted. It was easy to say that she hated him, because she did. She really did. But when she wasn't focusing on the terrible things he'd done to Danny or herself, that left… the times she had met with him, conversations they had shared maybe. Sure she would force herself to talk to him and limit the time spend around him, but whenever she was in his presence, she had always felt an inexplicable… completeness. Hell, he was one of the only other halfas in existence, of course she would feel… what?

"Trace…" She said softly as a few tears slid down her cheeks. "I'm so confused. What do I do."

"I definitely don't get paid enough." Tracy sighed as a mock-complaint. Both girls burst into laughter. Isabelle could always count on her to lighten her mood.

"Hey!" Tracy cried so suddenly and surprised that it scared the other girl who thought they were under attack.

"What? What is it?" She spun around looking for their attacker.

"I think." Tracy grabbed Isabelle by the shoulders and spun her to face her. "I just figured out how to make Vlad _want_ to let you go."

oOo

An hour later Isabelle was standing on the front porch of Vlad's enormous mansion. She was tugging nervously on the dress Tracy had picked out for her (which was _way_ too short for her liking, and GEEZ it was chilly tonight) a light breeze blowing at her curls which Tracy had done up and arranged around her head in a half ponytail. She was even wearing makeup, another thing that Tracy had done for her.

"The key to it," She had said. "is to make it look like you're NOT wearing any makeup."

Deciding that the hem of the dress couldn't be pulled any lower, she reached up and rang the doorbell. After a minute, the door was swung open to reveal Vlad dressed as sharply as ever in his usual black suit.

_Well… _She thought as she glanced him over. _I always did prefer class over swag._ Whatever Vlad's greeting was supposed to be died on his lips, and she was surprised (and secretly pleased) to see that he was momentarily stunned, taking in her appearance. Though she did cringe and avert her own eyes when she saw that his were focused on her chest where the low cut neckline gave a nice- yet innocent- view of cleavage.

"…Oh, ah, yes…" He stumbled over a greeting. "Please, do come in." He said, standing aside so that she could enter.

As she followed him though the halls of his mansion, she went over the plan that Tracy had devised.

_"Since Vlad already has the hots for you," Tracy had said. "All we have to do is make him act on those feelings. No, not like that, you perv." She added when Isabelle gave her a disgusted look. "What we want, is for him to _want_ to let you go. Ever hear of stockholm syndrome? It's kinda like that, only you'll be pretending."_

_"I _do not_ "have the hots" for him." Isabelle growled._

_"Whatever you want to call it."_

"This is my private office," Vlad said, interrupting her thoughts as he opened a door, ushered her in and closed it behind them. "Please take a seat, where ever you are most comfortable."

She took the first seat she came too- his favorite chair- and faced him, waiting for him to take a seat. He did, facing her.

"So. You had something you wanted to talk about."

"There'll be no beating around the bush, I see." Vlad said with a small chuckle.

"I don't like to run in circles." She replied. "It's counterproductive. What's up?"

He hadn't expected to jump right into the topic. But with her putting him on the spot like this, he began to do something that he wasn't known for. Rambling.

"You know, Isabelle, from the moment I met you, I could sense something special about you."

"At the Nasty Burger?"

"What? Oh, no, I meant when the Guys in White met with me, to tell me that you would be working with me." He shifted in his chair. "I could sense something about you. Not just your ghost half."

"Will you please just get to the point." She didn't sound annoyed, just tired.

"Would you like to go out?"

She was sure she had just misheard him. Her eyes darted around the room- anywhere but him. Waited a second to replay it in her mind. Couldn't trust her own brain. "C-could you… repeat that?"

"Isabelle," She looked up to meet his gaze. Had to. "Will you go on a date with me?"

She didn't expect _him_ to instigate anything between them. And sure as hell wasn't' prepared for him to ask her out. (Not so soon anyway.) _Subtle._ Though she wasn't sure how to respond. A knee jerk reaction neary had her blurting out "Yes" but she stopped herself. She was supposed to agree. This was what they needed for the plan to work and here he was asking her out… not two days after he beats the crap out of her. Among other things that he'd' done since she met him, this kinda pissed her off.

Finally, she asked. "How can you ask me that? How could you _ever ask me that_?"

It was her turn to take him off guard. "I beg your-"

She interrupted him. "After everything you've done to me and put me through, Vlad, and all the horrible things I watched you do to those kids, what do you _think_ my answer would be?"

He looked at her as if she'd slapped him. "You don't fully understand what goes on in this town." He insisted. "You don't know anything."

"I know that you spend much of your time devoted to ruining the lives of a small family because of your _own_ sob story." Things were fine- he looked like he was about to deny trying to kill Jack Fenton, stealing Madeline Fenton, forcing Danny to become his son, ect. ect.- until she added. "I have no respect for you. Or people like you."

The room went cold so fast that the fireplace in the wall a few feet away went out completely. A few glowing embers the only evidence of the flames ever burning there. Though it was much darker in the room now, she could still see almost perfectly. He looked positively livid. The extra shadows giving him a frightening look that caused her to freeze for a moment, trying to anticipate what he was going to do next.

_Say something. Please just _say_ something._ She wasn't afraid of him killing her- although they both knew he easily could- he had a perfectly good half-ghost pawn on his hands. But she couldn't be so sure that he wouldn't still become violent. She'd seen the temper a few times before, though sometimes it was amusing, this was not one of those times.

"Yeah, well, I should be going." She moved to stand up-

"Sit down!" He barked.

-but suddenly decided it might be better if she stayed seated. She sighed heavily. _This is going to be a long night._

"Explain."

"Explain?" She gave him a look that clearly asked: Are you crazy? "What? Like, explain my opinion?"

"_Why_ do you not have any respect for me?"

"You mean besides the things I already listed before?" He didn't like this answer, but mostly because he knew she was right. He couldn't argue on that point. He was quiet, so she took this as a cue to continue… carefully.

"You're just… it's very clear that you have someone else on your mind. And other things to occupy your time." He seemed calmer now so she relaxed a bit. "I don't fit anywhere in your life. And you don't fit into mine."

His eyes snapped up to hers at that. Not really believing what was happening. Nobody had ever said no to him before (Nobody who wasn't a Fenton anyway) and he'd certainly not been rejected since before his college days. On top of that, how the hell did she know about his attempted advances at Maddie?

_Daniel._ The thought to himself and ground his teeth. _Who else?_ He was thinking so hard that he missed what Isabelle said next and had to ask her to repeat it.

"Is that all?" She asked timidly. "May I go now?"

"Leave." He said it so harshly that she visibly flinched, but he was beyond caring anymore. Too angry to care about anything else at the moment. They both stood and walked to the door in silence. After they were out of his office he extended his arm to point down the hallway they had come through before. The front door was at the very end. "I believe you know where the door is. And don't touch anything on your way out." His voice was cold now, and his expression was beginning to scare her. He wasn't even trying to fake being nice anymore.

She didn't need to be told twice and soon she had reached the door. She glanced behind her to see if he was still standing at the end of the hall, but he had apparently left at some point, so she opened the door and left. Feeling like an idiot for letting Tracy dress her up and put makeup on. She felt even more stupid for botching the whole plan. Especially since Vlad had practically offered himself to her on a silver platter.

"Why am I such a fuck up?" She asked Vlad's front door, before making sure that nobody was around to see her. Then she turned ghost, turned invisible- she didn't want to risk running into anyone at the moment, friend or foe- and flew home, with the plan to take two painkillers and a much needed rest.

_A.N.: Oh, it has been a tough few weeks for me. But I got this chapter finished and went back to do my best and hammer out the kinks. So leave me a review and let me know what you thought!_


	21. Chapter 21 The Real Training Begins

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

Thank you for the reviews

oOo

When Isabelle told Tracy everything that had transpired, the older girl grabbed the TV remote from the table, and threw it at her head. Isabelle only barely managed to dodge.

"I'm sorry, Tracy, I really am-"

"Don't apologize to _me_!" She snapped in response. "_I'm_ not the one wearing the 'wrist collar'!" She made quotations with her fingers. "We only just made the plan and he walked right into it, Isabelle! You had him right where you needed him-"

"I couldn't have done it."

"Excuse me?"

"I couldn't have done it Trace. I hate him so much it makes me physically nauseated." She took a deep breath, still jittery from her conversation with Vlad. "I couldn't even fake it. He would know."

Isabelle had been sure that things between them would be tense- and they were- but it felt entirely one sided. She felt like she was walking on broken glass whenever she was around him, and yet he acted as though nothing was wrong, though he was acting distant, and cold. It worried her, and also made her mad. Worst of all, it scared her. Was he planning something? Two days after she rejected him, she was sitting in his office in Town Hall.

"You will meet with me four times a week." He said without looking up form the papers on his desk.

"What? What for?"

"Conditioning." Still pretending to read what was in front of him. "You need to perfect your skills. Refine them. Discover new ones. I will help you with this, teach you-"

"Like hell!" She snapped. "I don't want or need your help with my powers. I'm doing perfectly fine on my own."

"Oh?" He finally looked up and she could see… something, in his eyes. Something she didn't like. "You can teleport now? Split yourself into two or more entities? Can you make your own portal into the Ghost Zone?"

"You can-" She started to get excited at the last comment, but then deflated just as quickly. "No. No I can't do any of those things." She admitted. "But I don't want or need your help either."

He leaned back in his chair and studied her for a moment. "Whether or not you _want_ my help, you _do_ need a teacher. You are improving but at a painfully slow rate, and I need my employees at the top of their game."

"You mean your pawns." Isabelle corrected. "And if that's really the case I'll just get someone else to teach me."

"Oh, yes, I'm sure the only other halfa in existence could teach you."

"I trained with Danny a bit, he's taught me everything he knows… oh." She walked right into that one. "Well I don't _have_ to learn from a half ghost. I know plenty of actual ghosts who could teach me."

"Like?"

She stared at him blankly while her brain reeled, searching for a name. "Skulker."

"Ah, you know Skulker? He's one of my employees as well. I hadn't realized you knew so many people in the workplace."

"Ember." Isabelle said quickly. "Ember's a badass, and she could teach me." _Plus we both have fiery hair. We're practically sisters._

"She could teach you to play a D chord." Vlad sneered. "Face it, you _do_ need a teacher, and I'm the best there is."

"Well I don't want to learn from you."

"Too bad. It's not a request." He looked pointedly at her bracelet. "I'm _ordering_ you to meet me at my house four times a week for conditioning and training." After a minute of staring each other down he added. "Oh, and we begin tonight. Be there at eight."

oOo

Underneath his home in Wisconsin, Vlad had built a number of different rooms for different purposes. Among those rooms, he had a gym, and a special "training" room. It was very similar to the one that the Guys in White had provided to Isabelle when she received her powers.

It was equipped with everything a growing halfa needed. He did add his own personal touch to the room that the Guys hadn't thought of. The walls were made from ectoranium. The anti-ghost element. When he moved to Amity Park, he had built the same network underneath his new home.

When Isabelle arrived at 8:01 he opened the door. "You're late." He said gruffly. "Follow me."

Though she was a bit caught off guard by his behavior, she didn't let it show. Besides, she was learning to always expect the unexpected with him. She followed silently as he led her through his home. They went down mostly, and she dreaded the thought of ever having to climb back up all the stairs. Soon she realized that there were no windows anywhere, the only light coming from the fluorescent bulbs in the ceiling.

"Where are we going?" She finally broke the silence. No answer. "Mr. Mas-"

He stopped and spun on his heel so fast that she nearly ran into him. He pushed open the door he had stopped in front of. "After you." He said curtly before following her into the room. "Lights on." He called, and shut the door behind him, the gears whirring softly as it locked.

When the lights came on, Isabelle had to take a moment to take in the room. It was enormous. As big as a football field and maybe three or four stories high. She couldn't believe this much dirt had once occupied the now spacious and empty room. Sleek white tile made up the walls, floor and ceiling.

"Marvelous, isn't it?" He asked, watching her stare in awe.

"What is it?"

"The training room. It's designed to provide you with challenges to overcome." He answered. "We will be using it to hone your skills. Now, please change into… whatever you call yourself in your other form."

She knew that last bit was actually a question disguised as a quip, so she didn't answer him and simply transformed into Red Spectre. "Okay. Now what?"

He gazed at her for a moment with an indistinguishable look before saying "What is your name, your ghost name?"

"Red." She replied simply.

"To the people of this town your name is Isabelle Redd, and you don't think it's a bit too obvious to call your ghost-half by the same name?"

"Not Isabelle Redd. Red Spectre." She explained. "I got the nickname "Red" from," she gestured to herself. "all the red. My last name was just an inside joke. And since I'm a ghost I figured I would just use the name Spectre."

Though what she said was true, in reality, she didn't pick the name until she had heard to two words spoken together by him. Though she would never admit that to him.

_"You tell that red specter that I don't want to see her again…"_ He had said.

_And then he kissed me._ She thought, and coughed nervously at the memory.

"I've seen you use your flight, intangibility, and invisibility, as well as your ectoplasmic ray, so we'll skip those for now. Let's see... can you shape your ectoplasm? Make matter from your ghost energy?"

"I don't understand." She replied.

"Oh, well here, watch." And she did so as he summoned a ball of energy so dense that she could see it- a translucent pink-purple- and it warped and twisted before forming into the shape of a star, then into a horse shoe, and finally into a clover. She was secretly in awe of his skill, but mostly because he was doing all this while he was still in his human form.

"Lucky Charms?" Isabelle asked with a tone of sarcasm. _I guess _frootloops_ don't provide enough shapes though._

Vlad didn't seem to get it though. He explained how he was able to shape his energy. Big surprise. It involved focus. Real surprise? Vlad was actually a great teacher. Within a few hours she was able to make simple shapes out of her ghost energy. She had just constructed the most basic shape of a sword when Vlad made his own- though it was much more detailed than hers- and suddenly attacked her with it. She only ha a split second to react, though luckily that was more than enough time for her to use her ecto-blade to block his.

Instead of blocking it, however, her sword shattered almost instantly against his. "What the hell?" She asked from the floor where she had fallen.

"With practice, you will be able to make objects that _won't_ shatter like glass." Vlad explained. "Right now you aren't focusing enough on the solidity of your creations, instead you are worrying too much about the shape."

"I can barely keep the _shape_ of it as it is." She groaned in reply. She really didn't want to be here.

"Like I said: Practice." His voice had taken an 'all-knowing' tone to it that seemed to grind her nerves. "Again."

And so for the next two and a half hours he forced her to continue to recreate a sword, only to smash it like glass against his own sword or even his bare hands. Just when she was beginning to think that she would never make any progress, a sharp muffled **clang** echoed through the cavernous room. For just a moment, her blade had held against his. And to make sure it wasn't a fluke, he had her repeat it a few more times. It was no fluke, she had actually made progress.

"Not bad. Let's take a break for a moment." Vlad said, noticing that she was exhausted.

The offer of a break couldn't have come sooner in her opinion. As soon as the word 'break' left his lips she was already changing back to her human form, and- as there were no chairs in the room- she sat cross-legged on the floor, breathing heavily. She had used a lot of her energy and felt like dropping to the floor right there and taking a nap. To her amazement- and annoyance- Vlad had only barely broken a sweat. He'd removed his tie and jacket, so she knew he was probably working up more of a sweat than he appeared.

"I'm impressed." He said after a minute as he rolled the sleeves of his shirt up, though his voice didn't sound impressed. He sounded annoyed. This irked her. She was only here because _he_ was making her. "The Guys in White must have trained you well."

"Basic Training." She replied simply, knowing he wasn't really interested in her previous training. And she was right, he continued talking as if she hadn't said anything.

"We'll get back to creating matter next time. Now I want to move on to combat."

"Beg pardon?" She asked, warning bells going off in her head.

"Combat." He repeated. "We'll start with your offense. Stand up, change back."

She replied with her best 'are you shitting me?' look.

"Stand up." He said more forcefully.

"Will you stop ordering me about as if you _own_ me?"

"_Please_, stand up." That was the best she would get out of him, so she took it, and stood up. "And back to Spectre as well." She reluctantly complied.

"Are you going to make me fight you?"

"Who else are you going to fight?"

"How do you expect me to stand a chance after you wasted all my energy on sword play?"

"I don't. Now, I'm going to dodge you. Your goal is to try and land as many blows as possible." This eased the knot in her stomach a bit.

"You won't be fighting back?"

"Scared?"

That was all the invitation she needed, and she threw a punch to his head. She was surprised to find her second wind after the first ten minutes. Even more surprised at how infrequently she was hitting him. It was like he was made of smoke! Nearly always just inches too far, or milliseconds faster. After a few minutes she stopped to catch her breath…

"Tired already… Little Badger?"

...and powered up her fists.

"I don't recall saying you could use those."

"Then why else am I in this form?" She asked, and shot both blasts. One at where he was standing, one where she was predicting would cross his path. He dodged the first easily but yelped when he saw the second one and spun out of the way, barely avoiding it.

"Well if you really want to," He said when he'd recovered "it makes no difference to me."

She growled at his jibe and powered up more energy for a stronger attack. Instead of blasting him, she focused the energy into her limbs and flew at him. Not directly, she just needed to get close. He jumped back a bit when she landed next to her, but she was already on him thanks to changing her fall for the forward momentum. She threw her left punch into his chest, releasing the pent up energy in her fist in a small explosion that threw him. As her right came in at his face, he blocked it with his left, and she brought her left foot up to his jaw. His whole view immediately became the ceiling, and he had a confused look on his face up until he landed on his back.

"To answer your question," she said as he stood up and grabbed his chin. "No, I'm not tired already."

He stared at her for a second before he smirked with a laugh. "Good, we have a long night ahead of us." With that he stood up and transformed into Plasmius.

"Wait, I thought you weren't going to change."

"When did I say that?" He replied. "Now come at me!"

He was much harder to hit as Plasmius. Out of nowhere, he threw her a curve ball. She was flying at him and had to quickly twist in mid-flight to avoid smacking her face into a ecto-shield at 40 miles per hour. She managed to duck under it and continue her pursuit, but now she was further ahead. She threw two spheres of energy at him that exploded, but he managed to dodge them both.

"See, I wanted to work on your combat." He explained as he dodged, then he turned and landed on the floor. "And this isn't what I meant. I meant hand-to-hand."

She landed close to him, crouched on the floor ready to attack. "Then you should have mentioned it."

She went back to simple punches and kicks, and he went back to simply blocking.

"So, again, why am I in this form if all I'm doing is hand-to-hand?"

He groaned in exasperation. "Would you feel better if we continued this sparring match as humans."

She thought about it for a moment. "Not really, no."

"Then stop questioning my training methods, and trust me. I've had my ghost powers for longer than you have, I think I know what I'm doing. "

He threw his right punch heavier, but she ducked low to his exposed stomach and punched with her right. She quickly followed her left into his solar plexus-added a block with her elbow as his right hand grabbed at her- and then right again, uppercutting him chin.

He didn't fly back as far as she'd expected him to. In fact, he barely budged a step back.

He did however, seemed stunned, and while a normal person might have let him recover, her training told her to act differently. While he grabbed his chin, groaning in pain, she stepped close to him, ducked, turned, and brought her right foot up as high as she could and swiped him in the jaw a second time in a large arc. When she brought her foot back and stood up facing him, she had just enough time to see him spinning before he landed on the floor on his back. Black rings separated around him changing him into Masters.

"Alright, enough!" He shouted, then sat up and rubbed his chin. She thought he'd be angrier than she'd ever seen him, but he was smiling. Laughing actually. And genuinely too! Though it was a bit strained from where she'd punched him. While she was considering how handsome he looked when he laughed for real, he spoke. "That's what I'm talking about! There's the Isabelle who punched me in the face as a greeting!"

_Is he _excited_?_ She thought, watching him curiously. _He is! …How hard did I kick him?_ "Are… are you okay? Vlad?"

His laughter died and he focused on her. Still smiling, though it quickly turned to a grin again.

"Are you alright?" She asked. He was still sitting down.

"I'm fine." He replied.

"Stand up."

"That was a great kick by the way." He said, glancing down to her legs. "Didn't even see it coming."

"Please, Vlad," She sighed angrily. "Just stand up and show me that I didn't kick you senseless."

He rolled his eyes but stood up… only grab himself where she'd hit him and fall face first to the floor.

"Mr. Masters?" She asked, not really concerned at first, half expecting him to pop back up with a stupid grin. He groaned, but didn't move.

She walked up and rolled him over with her foot. "You okay?"

His eyes flew open, "Like I said, I didn't even see it coming."

"Are we finished here?"

"For tonight." He agreed. He sat up again, slower this time. When he finally stood up, Isabelle had changed back to her human form.

On the way upstairs, Vlad had explained that before every training session, he planned to first get her heart rate up, and then begin the actual training when she was exhausted. When he decided that she had had enough for the night, she followed him to his kitchen to rehydrate. Next time they would work on her defense, meaning that he would be attacking her, and she would need to evade him. She had a whole two days until then. But she knew she would be counting the minutes as they went by.

"Oh, and I believe a trip to the Ghost Zone is in order." He called to her as she walked out the door.

"I've already been actually."

"Oh? How did you get there?"

"How do you think?" He thought about this for a moment, and she used it to exit. "Goodbye Vlad."

Two things crossed his mind right then. First, he needed to go check his video files and see if she had gone through the Fenton Portal. Second… she had called him Vlad.

oOo

_A.N.: I have been really into this story all of the sudden here recently. I hope that's not effecting my writing. But please leave me a review and let me know what I can improve._


	22. Chapter 22 Halloween

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

oOo

After school in the halls Isabelle heard talk about an "almost fight" between Danny and Dash, and when she ran into Sam and Tucker, they told her that Lancer had given them community service instead of detention. In the form of decorating the Haunted House for the Halloween party.

"Are you going to meet up with us tonight?" Sam asked. "Trick or Treaking followed by some mischief?"

"I can't. I have to feed the dog and then go get beat up by Vlad for the rest of the evening." Isabelle replied in a low voice until there wasn't anyone around them.

"Again?" Tucker asked. "That guy is seriously taking up way too much of your time."

"It's not like I have a choice." She muttered in reply. "He takes up my weekends and every other day of the week. The Guys think I'm just patrolling for a few extra hours, but I think they might be suspicious about something."

"Have they asked you anything?" Sam asked.

"Not directly, just some things I catch… hints." That didn't go over well with the kids, so she changed her tone. "But they haven't specifically mentioned you guys or Vlad so I'm sure they don't know anything."

"We're not to worried about the Guys in White." Tucker said, and they all laughed together.

"What about you guys? Going to that party?" Isabelle asked.

"Actually we're going to help Danny find something scary for his haunted house." Sam replied.

"Alright." Isabelle sighed and looked down the sidewalk where she had to go. "I wish I could run amok with you guy, but…" Isabelle cringed when she saw their faces fall again. Vlad was like taboo to them. And even though they trusted her now, they still didn't trust _him_. "I'll catch you guys later maybe, after he's done beating the hell out of me."

They waved goodbye and went their separate ways. Isabelle turned ghost after making sure that there was nobody to see, and flew to the Town Hall, phasing through the walls directly into the mayors office.

"It's considered very rude to enter someone's private office-" Vlad started, not even looking up from whatever he was working on. His coat was draped over the back of his chair, showing the vest he always wore underneath. She liked when he wasn't wearing the coat.

"Oh, don't talk to me about being rude." Isabelle interrupted, though smirking at the irony of what she had just done. Vlad looked up to see her floating above his desk with a smirk. The image caught him a bit off guard and for a moment he forgot who and where he was, and what he was supposed to be doing.

"What are you going here?"

"It's Thursday." She replied not bothering to changed back into a human. When Vlad still didn't know why she was in his presence, she continued. "Or maybe I should just go. It's Halloween after all and I wanted to check out this Haunted House that-"

"Alright, alright!" Vlad groaned and stood up, stretching his arms above his head, eyes closed as he strained his muscles. Isabelle stared… then quickly looked away to the window, face burning slightly and hair burning brighter and hotter. By the time she was able to compose herself and turn around, he was putting his coat on. It helped her regain her composure, but she was also feeling down about his coat. She hated that thing right now. It didn't even matter because he soon turned into Plasmius and floated toward the ceiling.

"Let's go." He said gruffly in a cold tone, and phased through the ceiling. After a moment of staring at the spot where he disappeared, she sighed and followed him.

He was already headed off into the distance, not even bothering to see if she was following.

When they reached his mansion she was surprised to seen him simply phase through the walls again, and only followed. Only when they were deep inside his house, and on their way to the secret basement levels, did he begin to use the floors and stairs like a human. Isabelle was less surprised when he jumped right into the "training". No warm up, no moment to catch her breath. Nothing. As soon as the door shut behind them, he began talking.

Or as she would later put it when telling the story to Tracy, "going on and on and on". He explained that this time she would have to fight him without using her eyes.

"What do you expect me to just _know_ when you're going to attack?"

"Pretty much." He replied sarcastically, but continued when she gave him a hard look. "You will have to rely on your other senses: hearing, feeling and smelling."

After he tied the blindfold and stepped away, he was silent. It was as if he just disappeared and left her alone. She was almost sure that was the case until she felt his fist connect heavily with her. She stumbled back and tried to listen for footsteps, breathing, _anything_. Silence.

A soft scraping, so low she would have missed it had she not been listening so hard. The sound of his shoes, just a few feet away. Her automatic reaction was to run, and she almost did, jerking slightly in the opposite direction. But she caught herself and stayed put. But it was too late, they both knew that she had heard him.

Thinking quickly she leapt in the direction she had heard him, throwing a punch blindly. She felt nothing but air, then a chop to her back that floored her, followed by the sound of his chuckling.

"Better luck next time, hmm?" And when she tried to lift the blindfold, suddenly he was there to pull her hands away and right the fabric over her eyes. "Now, now, no peeking." Silence.

So for Vlad only knows how long, he attacked the poor blind woman. Though she was making remarkable progress in such short time. It wasn't long that she was able to begin picking up almost every little sound, and a few times when she had attempted to attack him, she had been close enough to feel the fabric of his coat, or a hand, and once even landing a sloppy punch to his stomach.

_Which _damn, _he's toned._ Isabelle allowed herself the thought. _No wonder he's such a badass, the guy probably spends every day doing this crap._

She heard him coming and tried to dodge whatever attack she couldn't see. Her legs were swept and she fell hard on her left arm. It would be bruised in a few places. Frustrated but determined, she slowly got back up, listening intently.

Silence again. If he was flying then she wouldn't be able to hear any footfalls- which she assumed that he was. There was the softest brush of air over the right side of her face, and the smell of… him. Or rather, his cologne.

_Your presence still disturbs the air, and I can _smell_ you._ Isabelle thought, fighting not to smirk. _Idiot._

She could only hear the rippling of his clothes, or his breathing, which helped, but the gusts he was stirring up by flying around her were like beacons in the dark, alerting her to his presence. The smell of him got thicker and she knew that he was approaching. He heart started racing, anticipating an attack.

Then, just before his fists connected with her, she heard the rustling of his clothes. The threads straining against his limb as he pulled his arm back for the punch, and then the _shwoosh_ just milliseconds before a loud crack would resonate in her skull. Even though she fell to the floor, she had a smile on her face.

"Something you find amusing?" Vlad asked as she pushed herself off the floor.

She didn't reply, but there was a reason for her newfound joy. She was learning.

She could feel his presence when he was close enough to strike, and now she could actually hear the strike as it was happening. But at a distance, he was practically invisible. Vlad was surprised to miss her with his first two punches the next time he attacked. And he couldn't help but grin at her progress, feeling pride that his teachings were actually sinking in, and also happy that she couldn't see him smiling.

While Vlad was busy feeling proud of himself and attacking her, Isabelle was busy wracking her brain for a way to detect him at a distance… and defending herself.

_If only he would cough or something, make SOME noise!_ She thought as she was able to block a kick but missed the next punch to her skull that sent her back to the floor. They had only been down there for two or three hours by now, but it was constant exercise. She was losing energy fast.

He was pushing her limits. Again.

This wasn't new to her. Once they were down there, he didn't quit until he could clearly see her exhaustion. For the past few weeks, Isabelle had been pushed harder than she ever had before. She was eating and sleeping more than she had as a teenager, and packing on muscle and dropping fat. Vlad knew what he was doing when he "trained" her. But at the same time, she was also always exhausted. Constantly stiff and sore. Tired no matter how much she slept.

And though she felt ready to pass out now, she would never allow herself to be at his mercy. She had only ever once passed out down here. They had been fighting like they were now, and the next thing she knew, she was waking up in a bed that wasn't hers.

…_Looking around the enormous dark room, she realized that she was still in Vlad's mansion. Outside the window it was dark. There wasn't a clock. Just as she was sitting up in the extra long king-sized bed- and wondering where _the rest of her clothes were_- the door opened, and the devil himself entered. …Okay so it was Vlad. Still._

_"Ah, welcome back."_

_"Where are my clothes?" She demanded immediately. All she was wearing now was one of the wife-beaters she always wore under her shirts, a shirt that _wasn't _hers, and a pair of pajama pants that weren't hers either. He had even taken her ponytail down._

_"…Right, well, you see, when you fainted, I took the liberty-"_

_"I didn't _faint._" She growled, leaning back against the headboard and crossing her arms across her chest. "And if you ever _'take the liberty'_ with me again, I'll-"_

_"I don't know what you're getting upset about. You collapsed, so I brought you up to my bed so-"_

_"This is _your_ bed?" Isabelle repeated, turning almost as green as the sheets covering her. She'd heard enough. Not caring about her clothes anymore, she turned ghost and made to leave._

_"Wait you shouldn't be up just yet-" Vlad was calling after her, but she could care less. She flew home in record time that night. When she got hot she realized that she had left all of her school things behind, and out of spite she purposefully didn't retrieve them until the next time she went._

And had made sure that she would never be in that situation again. He probably didn't even do anything dishonorable, but she still wouldn't trust him.

She clicked her tongue- a habit of when she was agitated- at the memory. The click echoed around the cavernous room. The sound waves bouncing back and forth. That's when it hit her, or perhaps… clicked?

Sound waves. He wasn't making much noise, but he didn't have to be if _she_ was the one making noise. Most sounds, like the clicking of her tongue, echoed in the room. She would only have to listen for what the sound was bouncing off of, or _not_ bouncing off of

She clicked her tongue again. And again. Facing different directions and clicking, she began to make out the size of the room inside her head by listening to how far the click echoed from… and suddenly she could see it. The room, Vlad, everything!

It wasn't _seeing_ everything as much as feeling it. The electricity in the air, it was faint, but everywhere. Like background noise under all the chatter of matter itself. And she could feel the way the atmosphere around her was charged. Feel every disturbance. It wasn't seeing, but behind her closed eyes, her world was shapes of blue static moving around… no, not around. Toward… coming at her!

She ducked out of the way but felt the air and static disturbed as Vlad flew by her, his attack missing completely. Vlad, thinking it was only a fluke that she was able to dodge him, turned and flew after her, throwing a kick to her head. To his surprise, she ducked out of the way, his foot sailing high over her head. He threw a left punch, which she twisted out of the way for, a high right hook to her head, which she blocked with her left arm and returned the punch with her right. He didn't see that coming and immediately jumped back, slightly startled, and maybe a bit… scared too?

_Where did that come from?_ He thought, a bewildered look plastered on his face. "Very good." He said, sounding calmer that he looked.

Isabelle roughly pulled the blindfold down, letting it sit around her neck. Like any second she would pull it up to cover her mouth and nose, hop on a horse and go hijack a train in 1885, with Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd.

"Are we done here?" She asked, breathing heavily. Apparently not heavily enough.

"No, we've barely begun to warm up."

"We've been at it for hours!" She replied. "Besides, don't you think I have better things to do that let you beat me up all the time?"

"If you would train more then you might actually stand a chance against me." He had her there, and they both knew it.

"I'm done." She took the silk fabric from around her neck and threw it at him as she turned to leave.

"Stop right there!"

"I'm not some mongrel pup you can order about." She snapped over her shoulder.

"You're going to regret it if you don't get back here right now."

"I don't care." With that she yanked the door open -the frame smashing where the lock was keeping it… locked- and off one of the hinges, and disappeared down the hall. Her nerves were electric, she couldn't get away from this place fast enough. He was following her. He had to be! And after a threat like that, she needed to be running as fast as she could, which was easier to do now that she was outside of the training room. She phased through the ceiling and floors until she was back into the main house. Turning human, she sprinted through the first few halls, not wanting to look over her shoulders out of the fear that he might be right behind her, but as she neared the front door it was clear that she was not being followed.

And that's where everything got weird.

oOo

Back inside, Vlad sighed heavily, his thoughts and emotions in conflicting turmoil. Yeah, he was only pushing her buttons because he was still bitter about her rejection a few weeks ago, but he was pushing her limits because he was training an employee, and he strived for excellence.

At least that's what he was telling himself. In reality, he was just looking for any excuse to be around her. Even though all they ever seemed to do was fight. He knew she was irritated by him, and he got a bit of amusement out of picking on her.

He leisurely, though briskly, walked out of the training room- bypassing the broken door- and made his way upstairs. As soon as he reached ground level, he detected the chaos immediately. To his left and right, things were… yes, they were coming alive, and had an eerie ghostly aura about them. Books, chairs, desks… _lamps_! Suddenly had a life of their own, and they were angry.

As his furniture began to attack him, he was aware that this was going on all over the city. He dodged his end table- which had gone for his knees- and turned intangible just in time to avoid his globe of the world. Somewhere near the foyer he heard, or rather _felt_, an explosion that seemed to shake the very foundations of the mansion.

"…Isabelle."

Ignoring his desk which was trying to charge him, he changed into Plasmius and flew through the house as fast as he could, heading toward where he could hear a struggle.

He rounded the corner and barely managed to duck out of the way as the glass case that once held some of his prized Packers merchandise, smashed into the wall above his head. "What in blazes?" He yelped as glass rained down around him. He looked back up in time to see Isabelle punch a bookshelf, cracking it in half even though she was in her human form.

He smirked as a swell of pride bubbled up in his chest, but the feeling was short-lived as he noticed another lamp, bouncing angrily toward the girl. Broken in places giving it the appearance of jagged teeth and dark eyes. He reached down and snatched the chord, stopping the lamp. When it turned on him instead, he began swinging it by the chord like a bolo, flinging it toward the ceiling before blasting it to bits of porcelain and fabric.

He smirked at how easily he was able to pick off the once-inanimate objects, but a loud roar quickly wiped it off. Both halfa's- and most of the objects that were just attacking them- turned toward one of the closed doors off to the side. It shook violently and even cracked in places where whatever force behind it was trying to get through.

Vlad knew what it was. The taxidermized animals he kept in his houses. He knew for a fact that behind that door were some of the most powerful carnivores on the planet, and not only were they not alive again and probably angry, they were souped up on ghost energy.

"You might want to turn back into Spectre." Vlad advised, not taking his eyes off the door that was not creaking and cracked in places. Isabelle didn't take her eyes off the door either as she turned ghost, seconds before it broke and the hell behind it came loose.

Their previous enemies quickly scattered in the presence of the ghost-predators, who immediately set their eyes on Vlad and Isabelle.

"I'm willing to bet that you didn't kill a single one of those yourself? You just bought them?" Isabelle muttered.

"I killed _some_." He replied and then they were surrounded. Immediately they were back to back, facing the snarling monstrosities.

"Yeah I think they aren't too happy about that." Isabelle said, a bit of her fear showing through her voice.

A grizzly bear that was now sporting green fur and red eyes, stood on its hind legs, rising to tower over even Vlad, and roared at them. They both ducked, missing the massive paw as it swiped at their heads. A buck tried to ram them with its antlers which were razor sharp points, but Vlad blasted it into cinders, though he left himself open.

A glowing timber wolf saw its chance and leapt at the male halfa, snarling and snapping its powerful jaws. It would have landed on his back and ripped into him, but Isabelle saw the wolf, gripped Vlad by his cape, and pulled him out of the way at the last second. The wolf, missed its original target, and slammed into the bear, knocking it off its hind legs. There was now an opening in the crowd of animals surrounding them.

"Go!" Vlad yelled, pushing her toward the gap. They bolted through, barely missing claws and fangs, and sprinted through the house.

"I take it you have a plan?" Isabelle asked as they rounded a corner, hopping over a footstool that tried to trip her. They were fast, especially in their ghost forms, but so were the animals, who were gaining on them.

"…N-not really." He admitted as they came to a dead end.

"And you think _I_ need the training." She mumbled as they turned to face the horde. "What now, then?"

"We fight of course." He replied with a smirk, before facing the carnivores. "Come at me, beasts! I can take you!" As he began powering up for an attack, they snarled and growled their own threats...

Neither party ever got to attack. Vlad nearly jumped when Isabelle placed her hands on his shoulders, but relaxed when he felt himself become intangible, and she pulled him through the floor, just as a tiger pounced on the tile where they had just been standing.

"Or we could just do this." She said as they landed on the floor below. Her training with the Guys required her to think of as many exit strategies as possible, a skill Vlad had only come by after years of combat. Above them, they could hear the angry cries of the animals that had just been denied their meal.

"…Good work." Vlad said with a small smile. "But I don't think we should stay in one spot for too long." He pointed up to where they had come through the ceiling. A paw was coming out, like whatever it was attached to above was trying to dig through the floor.

"They _just_ realized they can do that?" Isabelle scoffed, shaking her head.

"Let's get outside to better assess the situation." He levitated and phased through the wall, and Isabelle followed close behind. Their earlier argument seemed to have been years ago suddenly.

Once outside they could see most of the town. "This is happening everywhere!" Isabelle realized, horrified.

"Everywhere in Amity Park." Vlad corrected. "And I have a nagging suspicion that Daniel is behind this somehow." He added under his breath. But she heard him, because he had meant for her to. Baiting for conversation. But she only waited for him to continue, which he did, but not betore scowling, and taking off in some direction. She followed.

"Can you feel the energy?" He asked. "The ghost energy, covering the town."

She thought for a moment. Nothing really felt out of the ordinary. "No, not really-"

"Focus." He said.

"Yeah, okay, focus… Even though I have no idea what you mean by 'focus'. Still nothing."

He stopped and turned to face her. He held up his hand and charged his plasma ray.

Thinking he was going to shoot her with it, she kept her defenses up and backed away nervously. He rolled his eyes at this. "I'm not going to shoot you with this thing, but tell me this: can you _sense_ this energy?"

"Well of course I can, I can follow it with my eyes closed now." She replied.

"Well it's the same thing," he said as the ball of plasma faded. "only now all the energy is spread thin instead of concentrated in a ball." He turned around and started off again.

"Where are we going?" Isabelle asked.

"Sense the energy and you'll find out." Was her only clue.

So she tried. It really wasn't that hard. Like he said, instead of focusing on a small point, it was like a cloak of someone's essence blanketed over the whole city. An essence she had felt before.

"Fright Knight."

"Very good." Vlad called over his shoulder.

"…But then where are we going?"

She heard him sigh. "I guess you can't sense that as well as I can… We're going to the source."

It wasn't long before Isabelle began to realize where they were going. And it was thanks to Vlad's earlier comment about Danny.

"Danny was supposed to make a haunted house as a form of detention." She told him.

"And we can assume he planned on using the Fright Knight's sword to actually haunt the house… clever boy."

They could see the haunted houses. They were the perfect pictures of chaos. But just as they neared them, suddenly everything seemed to be changed. Like a blackboard being wiped clean.

It was nighttime still, a bit late, but… "Everythings… back to normal." Isabelle said, as if she didn't quiet believe it herself.

They quickly changed into their human halves, landed and snuck into the house. Cheap, cheesy cut outs and costumes made up most of the decorating. But there was Danny. Sam and Tucker close by as always.

"It seems, he handled it all by himself." Vlad said, a hint of pride in his voice.

Lancer was announcing that Danny had won something, but neither was really paying attention. They were more 'focused' on the haunted house around them. It did look a bit fun.

"Hey, Vlad-" She called, then glanced around nervously realizing who she was in the vicinity of. But nobody seemed to notice. "-Mr. Masters?"

He turned to face her- she realized that his features held no malice for once- a curious look on his face.

"Care to.. go through a haunted house?"

"With you?" He asked, looking like he wasn't sure he had heard her correctly.

"Yeah."

_A.N: The next chapter I'm planning to be a christmas special/gift for my readers, that will also be a plot point too, so stay tuned for that one, and please leave me a review and let me know what you thought here_


	23. Chapter 23 Playing Cupid

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

I will have posted this shortly after the preceding chapter though I am sorry to have to say that your should not expect a steady flow of consecutive updates. I consider myself a cool person but I'm not that awesome! I got some of my brain juices flowing and was able to write quite a bit.

oOo

As the people chattered on excitedly below him, Clockwork floated though the Haunted House, unseen by everyone except for one person, who could only see the Ghost of Time because said ghost _wanted_ to be seen by him. He came up behind Mr. Lancer, who was talking to Danny. When Danny saw Clockwork behind his teacher, he stared. When Mr. Lancer turned to see was had Danny so transfixed, Clockwork lifted his staff and shouted.

"Time out!"

Everyone froze. Like someone had pressed the universal pause button (which they had). Except for two people of course.

"Clockwork! What are you doing here?" Danny asked excitedly, a sly grin on his face as he glanced at his teacher. Then he paused and looked up at the timeless ghost. "Oh, no. What are you doing here?"

"It's nice to see you as well." Clockwork replied.

"Is something wrong?" Danny started to unload questions, but Clockwork quickly silenced him.

"Let me explain. You kids need to calm down." Danny grinned sheepishly, but remained silent for him to continue. "There are two people present here who need a little… _push_."

"What, like down a flight of stairs?"

"No." Clockwork ground out. "Figuratively. These two have a few problems, mostly stemming from their differences and how they can't seem to work around them."

"…A-are you playing match maker?" Danny asked, shocked at the realization.

"No. _I_ can't do anything. But _you_ can." When Danny gave him a look that clearly said he was judging him somehow, he added "And you also know that I can't always get involved, and when I can it's limited… and that I also wouldn't be doing something without a very good reason."

Danny thought about this for a moment. "Who are they?"

"Friends of yours."

"Sam and Tuck?" Danny asked, a hint of disbelief in his tone.

"Isabelle Alexander and Vlad M-"

"WHAT?!"

"I don't know why I even bother, you people never even let me finish-"

"Okay, okay- look, just… Tell me what you know."

Clockwork explained to Danny what he could- which wasn't very much- though it only left the youngest halfa with many questions.

oOo

He accepted the offer. He had to. This was a one in a million chance, _she_ was basically asking him to hang out with her. How could he resist the offer?

But if he had to be honest, he would admit that he _did_ have a good time walking through Danny's… what was it? Fun House? He smirked at a mummy, knowing instantly that it was actually a real one, and knowing exactly where Danny had taken it from.

He didn't know why she had asked him to join her (and she didn't know either) but they were both glad to have an excuse to be around the other without it being ghost related… well… _half_-ghost related at that. No fighting, no Guys in White, and no ghosts. Just two people killing time and enjoying it.

Before they knew it, the Haunted Houses were being closed. They hadn't even gotten the chance to see Dash's, but neither really cared about that. When it came time to part ways, they were almost reluctant. _Almost_.

Isabelle hadn't been planning on telling Tracy about their… well, it wasn't a date… (or so she was telling herself.)

But the slightly older girl had majored in psychology, and for many good reasons.

"Okay. Spill." Tracy demanded not two minutes after Isabelle walked into their shared apartment.

"What?" Hoping that she could just pretend-

"Something was on the news earlier. Something ghost related as I understand. And you had one of your "training sessions" with Vlad today," She began counting off her fingers. "You are at least two hours late, _and_ to top it all off, you've been twitchy and not yourself since you set foot through that door. …Oh and look," She pointed to Hector, who was sniffing at Isabelle, hackles raised as if he smelled something he didn't like. "He even knows that you've been keeping bad company. What happened tonight?"

"Nothing." When Tracy fixed her with a look that said she believed otherwise, Isabelle continued. "No, really. I wen't to see Vlad after school, we "trained" for a bit," She explained using quotation fingers for training. "and then…"

…Then?"

"Something weird happened. _Things_ started to come alive-"

"Oh don't worry, honey, those feelings are completely nor- OUCH!" Tracy was cut off by a couch pillow smacking her in the face.

"Shut up, bitch!" Isabelle growled, but Tracy only laughed. "I mean things as in…" She looked around the room gesturing to furniture. "Lamps, tables, the_ refrigerator_! These things started coming to life and attacking us."

"What like Ms. Potts and Cogsworth or something?"

"More like something out of a Tim Burton movie." Isabelle shook her head. "And he had these animals, stuffed, you know, taxidermy-"

"Gross."

"-I know- and they all came back to life, and they were ghostly, and they attacked us too."

"So what did you do?"

"We fought them. Together I mean. It was… strange. Working _with_ him instead of… you know..."

"Against him." Tracy finished, and Isabelle nodded. "So how'd it go?" She pressed for more details.

"Well we got away- left the house altogether- and made our way toward the school because Vlad said he could sense something there. But right before we reached the Haunted Houses, everything just… quit. Back to normal."

"…Okay, so then why are you so late getting in?"

"Who are you, my mother?" Isabelle groaned.

"Actually, according to-"

"Oh come on, you can't count that!" Isabelle laughed. "Besides, you're not _that_ much older than I am."

"But seriously. Isabelle, you're avoiding the topic, and I can tell you don't want to even think about it. But as your psychologist slash chaperone-"

"Slash mother." Isabelle added.

"As your friend." This got the halfa's attention, and she looked her friend in the eye.

"After everything returned to normal we decided to check it out anyway. So we turned human and..."

"And?!" Tracy asked impatiently.

isabelle sighed, shaking her head. There was no fooling herself anymore. "I may have asked him on a date… with out actually asking him on a date."

After a moment to processing this and staring into her friend's eyes as if they held the answers to all the questions popping into her mind, she asked some. "How do you manage to do that?"

"Well, we were in the Haunted House, and I was thinking that I really didn't want to go back to his house, so instead I asked him to… accompany me through the house."

"And you're late because… you were on a date with Vlad." Tracy said.

"It wasn't a date! We were just hanging out."

"The point is, you were hanging out with him because you wanted to. Right?"

"Well, yeah-"

"And you had a great time?" A nod. "Did you both have a good time?"

"I guess. He seemed… happy when we were leaving." She glared at her friend's smirking face. "And what, that's supposed to mean something?"

"Do you think it does?"

"Don't you dare start with that crap!" Isabelle groaned, slumping into the couch she was sitting on.

"What?" Tracy asked innocently.

"Answering my questions with questions." She pinched the bridge of her nose, a headache forming behind her eyes. "Just give me a straight answer. So we were both in a good mood coming home. Big whoop."

"I'm only saying that you don't seem too irritated at him even though you _purposefully_ spent an extra two hours with the guy. It doesn't have to mean anything, but it could. It could mean a few things. Like, remember that plan we all had to get the wrist collar off?"

"Yeah?" Tracy didn't answer, only gave her a pointed look. "You still want me to seduce him?"

"Lord no!" She exclaimed. "Jeez, kid! I just mean that if you guys can stop going at each others throats every waking minute, you might be able to… I don't know, form a friendship of some kind-"

"I think you're setting your sights a bit high on that one."

"I'm not saying you two could go skipping through the dandelions while holding hands." Tracy said rolling her eyes. "But if you two could even begin to tolerate each other, we might be able to eventually convince him to let you go."

Isabelle gave her an 'are-you-shitting-me-' look.

"Look, it would be a long shot, and if it ever came through, it would most likely take a long time before we could even consider asking him. But since you opted out on pretending to fall in love, this is your only shot."

oOo

The next day was one of the days that she didn't have to see him, so Vlad was surprised when he detected a ghost entering his office around the time Isabelle usually arrived. For a millionth of a second he thought it was her and felt strange twinge of excitement, but when he looked up, he groaned inwardly.

"Daniel. To what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked the ghost boy.

"I saw you last night, in my Haunted House." Danny was glaring, though his tone was even and calm.

"I saw _you_ eat another boy's-"

"The point," Danny quickly interrupted, though clearly embarrassed. "is that I also saw you with Belle."

This brought Vlad to attention. _So?_ "...And?"

"And I know that she's also basically your prisoner-"

"Oh please, Daniel, you hardly understand. She's my employee. She works for me-"

"I know that you're controlling her with that stupid bracelet. She's afraid of you, she's not working for you."

Vlad thought for a moment, then sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking at Danny with a cold, calculating stare. "Yes. You're right." His smile was menacing.

"I-I am? I mean, yes! I am-"

"I have gained control over a very powerful very rare, very… exquisite creature. You could say, I've tamed the tigress."

"She's a human being you jerk! Not some animal."

"I fail to see how this is any of your business." Vlad sneered.

"Belle is my _friend_! What is she to you?"

"She's-" _…What? My friend? No._ "I mean we-" _Hang out sometimes? Not really._

As Danny watched Vlad struggle for words, his eyes widened and he stared at Vlad in disbelief. "You _like_ her!" Danny said a bit too loudly. Of course, he already knew this, but Vlad didn't know that.

"Don't be preposterous!"

"No?" The youngest halfa floated closer to face the oldest. "Then why did you get so emotional when we started talking about her?"

"Because _you_ get me so riled up." He snapped. "You both do!"

"And with that attitude I'm betting she doesn't even want to be around you."

For almost a minute, Vlad glared harshly at Danny. The younger was just beginning to think that he had crossed the line and that this had been a very bad idea, when the door to the office began to open. Immediately Danny turned invisible, but Vlad didn't seem to notice the door.

"Get out of here at once!" He barked to the seemingly empty room. The door slammed shut before they could enter and the sound of heels running down the hall could be heard.

Danny regained visibility and stared at the door. "Uh, sorry about your secretary."

"Don't be, Little Badger, she's far too nosey. But like I said. Get. Out."

Danny instead turned back to face Vlad. "Vlad… she's a human being, not an animal-"

"You said that already." Vlad replied pointing to the window. "Leave."

As he floated to the window, he turned back to the mayor and said. "She's also one of us, Vlad. Half-ghost I mean. Try to remember that next time you're making her-"

"I said go!" Vlad barked, rushing at Danny, causing the boy to whip around and fly through the window as fast as he could. He heard Danny taunt over his shoulder. "I bet you can't even say her name without smiling!" Danny wondered if he had really been doing the right thing, but Clockwork had a plan. He trusted Clockwork. So he would help him play Cupid, though he didn't like it.

Vlad slammed the window shut behind Danny, then locked it, even though he knew locks meant nothing to ghosts. He didn't care. How dare that boy try to tell him… anything, really.

_We spent a bit of time together last _night. Vlad thought, slumping back into his chair. _She _asked_ me to accompany her. What does that little brat even know?_

He sat for a long time thinking about the conversation he had just shared, work be damned. _She asked me and… I had a nice time. Not _great._ Just nice._

Though the smile on his face contradicted his thoughts. Being lost in said thoughts, he stared off into space for a few minutes, a small but happy smile still stuck on his face.

_A.N. __This started coming out all of a sudden. Like my writers block was lifted. I won't be posting for a while because I'm sick right now, but I'll try to get a few more chapters out before christmas._


	24. Chapter 24 The Garden

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

As always, your reviews are greatly appreciated. I always love to hear what you readers think of what you've read.

oOo

It was two and a half weeks into November when Isabelle showed up for training, only to find that Vlad had other plans for the day.

"We're doing something different today." He announced as they walked through the halls fiddling with a handheld gadget, digging in the back of it with a screwdriver.. "Think of it as a vacation… or a field trip."

"Oh no…"

He glanced at her, eyebrow raised. "What is it?"

"I didn't get my permission slip signed." She answered sarcastically before cracking a smile. To her relief, he smiled and even chuckled a bit.

"I'm sure we can make an exception for you."

When they came up to a set of double doors, Vlad slipped the device into his pocket and said "I'll have to ask you not to touch anything while you're inside here."

"Afraid I'll break something?"

"Quite frankly-"

"You know what, if it'll make you feel better, I'll keep my hands in my pockets… for now anyway."

Shaking his head with a sigh, he pushed the doors open and they entered.

The room was obviously a laboratory. Isabelle tried to look at everything, but they were walking at such a brisk pace that by the time they reached the other side of the room, she had no idea what the hell she had just seen.

_So many things. He really _is_ that mad scientist type._ She thought with a smirk. Though her smirk quickly changed to a look of awe when she saw his Ghost Portal, nearly a replica of the Fenton's.

"Amazing isn't it?" He asked when he saw her staring.

"Unbelievable." She said, though she didn't seem to share his enthusiasm.

Vlad caught this, and after debating whether he should ask her to elaborate, shook his head and fired up the portal.

"You may want to assume your ghost form." Vlad said, before changing into Plasmius and motioning her to go through the swirling vortex of wibbley wobbly colors of timey-wimey things."You still haven't told me how you got to the Ghost Zone before."

Red rings appeared at her waist and separated over her head and feet, revealing Spectre. "I've seen Danny's portal, but not when it was up and running. The way I got through… it didn't look like this."

"How so?"

"It was more like looking through a window, that was between two dimensions. I could see through it clear as day." She looked back at the spiraling colors. "Not like this."

There was a moment of silence where Vlad made sense of what she had said. Then, trying not to sound as surprised as he felt, he said "You found a _natural_ window to the Ghost Zone."

It wasn't a question.

"I guess." Isabelle said with a shrug, still facing his portal. Though she could still hear the surprise in his voice, she didn't let on that she knew, or cared. "So, do you want me to just go through, or what?"

Vlad was still recovering from his realization. Natural windows to the Ghost Zone were rare. They happened at random times and in random places. Impossible to predict where one would occur. He himself had only ever stumbled across one, once, in his youth. He had only been a halfa for a few years by then, but he knew exactly what he had found as soon as he walked through it. "…Yes… just.. go." He grumbled. Not seeing the slight smile on Isabelle's face as she disappeared through the portal. She didn't know what was getting on his nerves, but whatever it was, she was enjoying his discomfort.

He gave her a few seconds to get out of his way on the other side, before following after her.

oOo

The other side was much like she expected it to be. Green with doors everywhere and everything looks the same. _Although… _that's_ different._ She though as she looked at an enormous football. She turned in time to see him step out of the portal, device in hand.. Neither of them said anything as he floated over to the football, and pushed it in front of the portal, effectively hiding the gaping hole behind it.

"Subtle." Red said sarcastically.

"Actually you'd be surprised to find that it's very effective." He replied.

"What is that anyway?" She asked as he started fiddling with the device again.

"This," He started as he pressed a button on it, making the screen light up, "…is… a sort of map, or map-maker." The device beeped once, signaling something, then Vlad clipped it to his belt. "It uses a kind of GPS to track my movements. Later, I'll use the data to get a better layout of the Ghost Zone." He started flying away from the portal, so she followed. "But that's later. For now, we're going to harvest some plants."

Part of Red felt like a kid who had just been assigned a bunch of homework. She really wasn't interested in _plants_. But a few things stood out to her. First of all, they were searching for plants- in the Ghost Zone. Who knew this place could bear plant life? And secondly, she believed that Vlad had brought her along for a reason. And while the second part actually wasn't the case- Vlad had again forgotten that she would be over to train and decided to just include her in his plans for an hour or two- Vlad wanted a reason to be near her. Not that she wanted to leave anyway.

"_Ghost_ plants?" Red asked.

"Precisely." He confirmed.

"Who'd have thought." She mumbled to herself.

It didn't take them long to reach their destination. It was an island that floated in the endless space. On it was a lush garden of plants that she had never seen before in her life. So many different colors and types of plants, flowers, trees- _fruit_-bearing trees too!

"This place is beautiful." Isabelle said as they landed on the small oasis.

"It is amazing, isn't it?" Plasmius agreed. "But I must ask that you remain silent from here on. We don't want to wake the sleeping dragon, do we?"

"You're joking right? About the dragon..." She whispered. "Right?" She asked when Vlad only proceeded through the vegetation.

"Shh." Was her only answer.

She was on guard from there on out. Doing her best to move silently and quickly as possible. Sometimes he would hold something out of the way- vines, limbs, thorns- because it was 'poisonous or deadly in some way'.

While she was beginning to feel lost, he continued on as if he had been through here many times- which she suspected was the case.

Everything that grew smelled completely different from what was around it, but soon one scent made itself known. It was sweet and minty. It was clearly what he was after because the more they walked, the stronger the smell got.

"Recognize it?" He whispered over his shoulder.

"Yeah," She answered just as quietly. "That stuff you made me drink."

The first thing she saw was the bulb of the plant. It was a yellow orb with pink spines that were dripping a sweet smelling liquid, that was glowing, but almost see through. The petals around the bulb were fanned out catching the liquid as it spilled over them. They were a perfect almond shape, silver with purple veins, and spines around the edges.

The stem was lime green with shiny red thorns that were serrated like a steak knife.

"The thorns are poisonous so don't touch them." Vlad warned quietly as he pointed to the stem. "But the nectar is safe, and actually," He dipped his finger into the liquid that had gathered in one of the petals, and then licked it off his finger. "-quite delicious."

Following his example, Red tasted the nectar. It was just as sweet as it smelled, like honey with a hint of something minty.

"We're here for the nectar. It's what I make the bases of most of my ghost medicines from._ Powerful_ healing properties."

He produced a few bottles, pinching the edges of the leaves and tipping the point into the bottle so the nectar flowed right into it. "Don't be shy." He joked and handed her a few bottles, which she did her best to fill. There was only a small patch of the strange flowers but they soon filled up every bottle, with many of the flowers untouched.

"We shouldn't take too much." Vlad explained as they turned to leave. "It might throw this small ecosystem out of balance."

He was walking in front of her, so he missed the smile at his comment. Neither of them saw the strange ghost bird that was minding its own business until they nearly stepped on it. It flew to the skies crying its unhappiness to the world, and both halfa's froze.

From somewhere in the garden oasis, Isabelle heard a loud animalistic bellow, followed by the sound of something large blundering its way toward them.

"Run!" Vlad yelped and tore off in the opposite direction of whatever was after them. This wasn't the first time he'd been in the garden while a guardian was on a rampage- and he could usually take care of himself when he was- but he _hated _that damn bull. Red didn't know what they were running from, but she didn't need to be told twice, and sprinted after him.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Minotaur!" He replied, leaping over a fallen log and even clearing the small pond on the other side. She didn't have much trouble copying his moves and staying on his heels, but she was _sure_ she had misheard him. "Did you say-"

"Minotaur!" He snapped. "Half man- oh! poison barbs, don't touch!" He stopped her from running face first into an angry venus fly-trap, ghost flower. Then they took a turn and ran in a new direction. "Half raging bull," he continued, interrupted by the distinct sound of a raging bull as if on que. "…all angry ghost guardian."

"Why don't we just fly?"

"Don't _ever_-" He paused as he ducked under some branches and into a low creek. "Never fly in this garden." He said once she was down there with him. "If you have to for any reason, remain low. I'll explain after we get out of _this_ situation." He had lowered his voice once they traveled down the small creek a bit.

She realized that she could hardly hear his footfalls- not that hers were any louder than his. Up ahead there was a tunnel created by the roots of two trees that grew side-by-side on either side of the creek. It was also surrounded by bushes and foliage, the perfect place to hide. Like ninjas they disappeared silently into the shadows, and remained as silent as possible.

As soon as he turned around to face her, he saw the problem. Her hair. Fire.

It wouldn't burn anything- not unless she wanted it to- but it still gave off a brilliant red glow. She noticed it too and started to turn invisible.

"No, don't!" He hissed quietly. She turned visible. "Just… turn human, and quickly."

The red rings separated over her, and by the time the ground started trembling from how close the Minotaur was, she was Isabelle again, kneeling in the muddy underbelly of some trees in a blouse and skirt, which she would have to clean later.

Sniffling, though it sounded more like wheezing… or a horse coughing. She froze out of fear, trying to sit as still as possible. The ground shook with each booming step of its giant hooves. They could hear it bumbling around, searching for the lost scent. A loud splash to the far left, where it stepped into the creek. The roots around them shuddered, and a boom echoed around them as dirt rained down on them. She closed her eyes and covered her face to keep it from falling in her eyes. Through it all they remained silent.

Eventually the beast wondered away, until they couldn't feel the slightest tremor in the ground.

"The Guardians," Vlad said, finally breaking the silence. "can sense our ghostly energy. Turning invisible, intangible and using your ghost rays? That makes your ghost core spike with its energy, which can be sensed by those who know how to… you can change back now." She did so.

When they stepped out of their hiding place, Vlad immediately set upon tracking the movements the Minotaur had made. In doing so, he would find out which way the beast had gone, so they wouldn't make the mistake of following it.

As she watched him, she thought back to their silent footfalls, and something just… clicked. "Twenty years is a long time to harbor another side of yourself." She commented, keeping her voice low, so none of these "Guardians" would hear her.

He sent her a sharp look over his shoulder, but went back to his work.

"How long have you been coming to the Ghost Zone?"

"The Minotaur went that way," He pointed to where the creek continued downstream. "We'll go that way until we reach the edge of the island, _then_ we can fly home from there." He started the trek upstream. Though it wasn't much of a trek as they flew quickly, though low to the ground.

"So who are these Guardians?"

"I've met with five of them- The Minotaur, a giant white bat, a green monkey with four tails… umm.. let's see… oh, the hawk that flies-" He pointed up, glancing as well as if he could sense the danger waiting beyond the canopy."-He will pick you out of the air like a bug- and the other is a black wolf."

"How come we've only seen just the one?

"The wolf and bat are nocturnal, and the monkey stays close to the mountain."

They were making their way outward, toward the edge. They came to a clearing, and Vlad veered around it instead of through it- they would be sitting ducks in such an open area!

Up ahead he could see what they were looking for, the edge of the oasis. But he could already see what was wrong with the picture. There was a Minotaur in it.

He stopped so abruptly that Red walked right into him. "What is it?" She asked, keeping her voice low.

"He was waiting for us." Vlad replied.

They had been so focused on the hawk that they had walked right into a trap. But strangely, instead of a bellowing roar or thunderous hoof beats, there was only the continuation of a serene silence.

"Why hasn't it charged us yet?" She whispered.

"Because we haven't made any sudden movements or, given it any reason to think we mean it harm."

"… d-did you make that up or is it real?"

"Wether or not it seems to be working right now." He replied, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Well what do we do this time?"

"I'm working on it."

After a minute of just standing there in tense silence, Vlad still hadn't given any indication that he knew what to do. "We're so close to the edge now, why not just fly?"

And he couldn't argue. It was their best bet. "On the count of three, just make it over him and past that line." Vlad said. "One…" they slowly lowered into a crouch, the Minotaur snarled and groaned. "Two…" their muscles coiled, ready to spring. "Three." He whispered.

They sprang from the ground and into the air, leaving small craters where they once stood. For a moment, they were home free, the bull beneath them, far out of reach, bellowing in anger at being cheated, and there was the edge of the island.

Suddenly they were in the shade, as if something had blocked out the sun.

Vlad knew immediately what the danger was, while Isabelle could only sense that they were in trouble. Instinctively she banked a hard right, rolling so she could look up as she did so- Vlad went left. She had been milliseconds from being snatched out of the sky and made into bird poo. A shadow swooped between them, missing them by inches, the gust of wind it stirred up sending them both spiraling out of control.

The words 'bird of prey' flashed across her mind as she crashed into a purple leafed tree. Probably something from a Discovery Channel special or maybe she had actually been paying attention in Environmental Science last week? Whatever. Point was, now _they_ were the prey.

She had just enough time to 'sit' up on the branch that had knocked the wind out of her, when the whole tree she was in shook violently and she only stayed in it by wrapping her arm around the limb as she almost fell. Below, the Minotaur glared up at her as leaves fell around him.

"That wasn't very nice." She chided as he backed up, preparing to charge again. After bracing herself for the next impact, she looked around for Vlad. He was on the ground close by- too close to the Minotaur for comfort, though the beast didn't seem to realize he was there- ducking out of the way as the large hawk tried to swipe at him with its talons. Watching Vlad duel with the hawk made her realize that she _may_ have gotten off easy being stuck with the Minotaur.

The tree shook again with a loud boom, and she fell face first from her branch, momentarily forgetting that, as a ghost, she could fly. Luckily, she remembered before the beast was within reach, and flew back up, to hover above the trees. As soon as she was airborne, however, the hawk- who was hovering above Plasmius trying to get a hit in- turned its sharp piercing eyes on her and let out a shrill cry.

As it swooped at her, she had just enough time for a half-baked idea to pop into her head and say to Vlad, "Got an idea, you can handle him for a bit, right?" pointing to the Minotaur on the ground, who turned to the only target he could reach now, Vlad. With the hawk hot on her heels, Red bolted.

There wasn't much to her plan. Lead it away, and lose it. The first part was the easy one, as the hawk gladly gave chase. But losing it proved to be a challenge. The bird was _wicked_ fast. She was only able to stay _just_ out of its reach. Sometimes she couldn't even do that, and felt the burning sting of talons scraping over her legs or back. She tried taking sharp turns, looping to get behind it, and even turning around to charge at it- that last one being a stupid idea. He just kept coming. But the hawk- being an expert flyer since he left his egg, while Isabelle only had a few years under her belt- copied and countered her moves perfectly.

She didn't want to get too far from Vlad, so she was trying to stick close to the area, something the hawk noticed and started trying to thwart. When she tried to blast the bird, it only dodged, though considering the distance, it had plenty of time to do so.

_So maybe… short range attacks._ She thought as she barely escaped the talons again.

Hawkie circled around and straight at her again. This time, she waited. As he neared, his talons raked forward, ready to rip her to pieces. When he was right on top of her, when she had waited until the last possible second, she dodged.

The short few seconds that followed were very crucial. First, Hawkie was caught off guard and trying to turn and follow her, she had not only the element of surprise on him, but a wide opening. Second, ignoring her knee-jerk reaction to punch or kick, she instead extended both hands, palms forward, and blasted him as hard as she could. Third and most important, with Hawkie now distracted with the burnt singing feathers on his breast, she turned and flew to the ground as fast as she could, looking for protection in the trees.

Not even bothering to slow down for the landing, she left a dent in the earth from her impact, rolled to her feet which now ached from the jolt, and ducked into some nearby bushes. Freezing as soon as she was in her hiding place and holding her breath.

Hawkie recovered pretty quickly, but not quickly enough to see where she had gone. And while he scanned the ground with his sharp eyes, she remained hidden, watching him circle above, squawking angrily. He now knew how the Minotaur felt about being cheated out of his prey.

The first second that Hawkie was out of sight, Isabelle leapt from her hiding place and dashed to where she could still hear the Minotaur bumbling around, making sure to stay on the ground, and checking over her shoulder occasionally in case Hawkie returned.

When she came upon Vlad, he was standing alone, no "Guardians" in sight. He had his back to her and didn't see her approach. She stepped out from the tree-line quietly, in case Vlad had just given him the slip.

She couldn't just yell his name, but she didn't want to risk even a whisper being heard. Instead she made a clicking noise with her tongue. It got his attention and he spun around, ready to defend himself. Even after he saw that it was her, the panicked expression on his face remained.

Eyes wide with fear he pointed toward her. "Run! Behind you-RUN!"

Not bothering to look behind her- she had a feeling that she knew what it was, and her suspicions were confirmed by the thundering of hooves running after her- she sprinted to Vlad. Maybe they could fight it if they stuck together. But Vlad had other plans, he just grabbed her hand and ran. His destination? Same as it was before. The edge of the island.

They had only taken a few strides when Vlad went flying forward, Minotaur right behind- no, _on_ him. It threw its large head back, Vlad flying far over his shoulder and landing hard. He didn't get up immediately, and when she reached his side and asked him if he could stand, he only groaned.

Ahead, Minotaur turned around and lined up its horns. At her feet Vlad was struggling to stand but it was clear that he wasn't going to get up anytime soon. She looked back up to the Minotaur, who was throwing its shoulders forward as it began to charge forward, red eyes glaring into her own. And that was when, for a brief moment anyway, time seemed to slow down.

Her subconscious was making a snap decision for her. By the time she began to feel the sickening coil of fear in her stomach, her brain had already set in motion, firing the synapses required to make her save herself.

Lifting her left hand she pointed two fingers at the charging bull. The familiar sense of energy flowing through her nerves resonated through her body for a few seconds until finally, dark red lightning erupted from her fingertips. It zigzagged around the three of them, first slicing two trees in half, then zigzagging again, before finally the beam touched the bull. It crashed to the ground, limp, and slid to a stop just feet from where Vlad was half lying, half sitting up. The entire body was jerking and even blips of static so concentrated that they were visible, were bursting around the still statically charged body. Crackling and sizzling.

He wasn't dead- not by a long shot- but she had stunned it pretty well. Grabbing Vlad by the arm she helped him to his feet, the entire time he stared at the unconscious Minotaur at his feet.

"Can you walk?" She asked him again.

"…Fine yeah.." He replied absentmindedly. Still staring at what she'd done.

"…Vlad!" She snapped.

He turned to face her finally.

"Are you alright?" She asked, starting to become genuinely worried now.

"..Yes I'll be alright." He assured, though he had a strange expression on his face.

"We should go while we still can." Red announced, glancing up to the sky, just in case Hawkie returned. She started toward the edge of the island, finally able to approach it unopposed.

Vlad watched her go ahead of him for a moment, thoughts in a jumble (though he may have also been staring…) but one thing was for sure: there was much more to her than he knew about.

She turned around, seeing him still standing in front of the Minotaur, whose body was no longer jerking but twitching slightly. "You coming?"

He coughed nervously, embarrassed at being caught staring. "Yes."

When they stepped out of the portal and back into the lab, both finally returned to their human forms. Isabelle still had mud and dirt caked on her, but after turning intangible, she was cleaned up quite a bit. Two of the bottles of the nectar had broken and some of the liquid was dripping, but they still delivered most of it.

"Can I not go back there again? Ever?" Isabelle sighed, sitting down on a stool at one of the lab tables while Vlad immediately went about his own with with the nectar.

"Of course not." He scoffed. "It wasn't _that_ bad. Besides, we weren't in any real danger."

"Oh?" She stood up and turned around, showing him where the hawks talons had raked across her legs. When he saw it, he stopped. Staring again.

"That reminds me, how did you get away from the hawk?" He asked thinking of the red lightning.

"I got away from it, and then just stayed out of the sky until I found you again."

He didn't like the answer- it was as vague as she could get- but he didn't care enough to press her on it. "Well no matter, the point is, if I ever need you to accompany me again, you will do so. Besides, that's the first time I've ever been attacked by _two_ Guardians at once. The chances of that happening again and slim to none!"

Once again, he was controlling her. It made her feel sick and helpless. All she could do… was whatever he wanted. All because of that fucking bracelet.

The hurt expression on her face made his stomach clench. He knew that he was the cause of whatever her distress was, but once again he was oblivious as to what he had done wrong. Then he remembered something.

"Also, there's something else. Isabelle…" Her expression now a mix of the earlier one, and anticipatory fear. "I wanted to thank you… for saving my life today."

Now her face held no expressions. She had expected him to say something that she would hate, like maybe they were going back to the Ghost Zone, or that they were still going to be training. She couldn't believe he was _thanking_ her. She also couldn't believe she'd saved his life. If he'd died, she would have been free.

"Yeah, don't get the wrong idea." She replied. "I was really only looking to save myself when I blasted him." That was mostly true.

"That may be true, but you did come back for me." That was all true.

She sighed, knowing he was right. Hating herself for wanting to help him even though all he ever seemed to do was hurt her. She gave a curt nod, but didn't say anything else.

"And about that… how long have you been able to produce lightning?"

She visibly stiffened. She'd forgotten about using that technique. "…I…" Her voice caught in her throat. When she looked back at him, he was still anxiously awaiting her answer. After a minute she finally spoke up again. "Can we not talk about that?"

"No. How long?"

"Let me rephrase that." She snapped. "I will not be talking to you, or _anyone_ about that. I have my own _personal_ reasons for not wanting to talk about certain things." She was advancing on him and he was shocked into retreating. It had been a while since they had argued. (He was used to her simply submitting.) "I don't come up to you and pick at _your_ emotional scars do I? _I_ don't because I'm not an insensitive, inconsiderate prick!"

He was too shocked to even be angry at her outburst, because something finally clicked in his mind. She was right, he didn't have any right to pry into her personal or emotional problems- he wasn't a therapist! But the words that struck him most of all: _Insensitive. Inconsiderate. _

She was right. And he told her so. "You're right."

She seemed to freeze. "What?"

"I said you're right. I have no business prying into your personal life. I also wasn't aware that your powers were tied to such negative emotions."

She realized she may have said too much in the last five minutes. Already he knew so much about her, and he was smart, so he can and will come to know so much more. While he was such a mystery.

"Maybe you'd like to talk about it-" He tried.

"I don't." She said quickly. "I don't want to dig up what's taken so long to bury. Can we… can you just forget about the lightning? I don't even like to use it- Today was the first time in… a long time- can you just forget about this?"

"Yes." He lied.

_A.N.: Hope some of you caught the Doctor Who reference. I put a lot of different references in this story. Pat yourself on the back for catching any of them. Also, Merry Christmas! And do not be afraid to clickity-clack that button down there. You know the one. It says: Post review. Though it usually works best if first you place some words in the box._


	25. Chapter 25 The Christmas Truce

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

ChopSuzi: Yes, I'm a huge Avatar:TLA fan. Great times. I may have also kinda slipped in a "Secret Tunnel" bit with this tree roots, but that wasn't on purpose. Hawkie being named Hawkie? Yeah I pulled one from Avatar.

Amaya: Tell me about it. Seems like he gets a bad rap. Can we not hear some positive feedback for the guy?

oOo

Isabelle had hoped that, _maybe_, possibly, by some off chance, Vlad might give her a bit more freedom since Christmas was rapidly approaching, but to her dismay, he only demanded more of her time.

She had to tell him off at one point, juggling his schedules with what the Guys in White needed her for was proving to be impossible. Not wanting the Guys to grow suspicious of him or begin t question her whereabouts, he let up a bit, but she still felt as if she were on a tight leash.

And this as before she even thought about her schoolwork, which she was hardly doing, and so failing her classes once again. Vlad's excuse for this being that she wasn't really a student so those things weren't really important to her.

All in all, when she was supposed to be feeling cherry and getting in the holiday spirit, she was instead at rock bottom, feeling overwhelmed. Tracy had gotten calls from the school about her bad grades, and again insisted that the Guys should know what's going on- and she almost agreed- but one look at the bracelet, and both girls were reminded of exactly who they were dealing with.

Thankfully, school was let out for the holidays about two weeks before Christmas. But then another worry began to set in. She had Christmas shopping to do. With two weeks til the holiday, all she really wanted to do was spend the time sitting at home, being lazy, and drinking hot chocolate. But at the same time, she wanted to get something perfect for Trace (the woman was her best friend after all)… and Danny too for that matter. Maybe a gift card to a tech store for Tuck and… _hmm… Sam might be a little tougher to shop for._

She was thinking this as she stared around the mall that Amity Park provided, when a voice interrupted her thoughts. "Belle?"

It was unsure, and she could probably get them to think it wasn't her if she just didn't react or started walking in the opposite direction. But she knew who it was, and actually didn't mind his company. She turned to face Danny and saw that his two friends were with him. _Of course_. Not that she minded though.

"Hey, guys!" She waved with a smile as they approached. "What are you guys up to?"

"Not much, just wondering around." Tucker replied.

"How about you?" Danny asked.

"Christmas shopping." She replied.

Danny's eyes lit up. "Oh! That reminds me." He crept a bit closer and continued with a hushed voice. "You know about the Christmas Truce, right?"

Her answer to that must have been written on her face because Danny quickly continued. "Oh… uh- well it's exactly what it sounds like."

"All the ghosts take the night off from unfriendly activity." Sam added.

"And there's even a party!" Tucker exclaimed.

"So, you're going, right?" Danny asked excitedly.

"Wh- wait- party? Christmas Truce…" They nodded in reply. "I don't know. When is it. _Where_ is it?"

"Well it's on Christmas Eve, in the Ghost Zone. You could come with us when we go."

She legitimately thought about it for a moment. She really did. It sounded great, like her high school fantasies of actually being invited to a party had come true.

"…I can't. I'm going to hang out with Tr-my mom."

"We know she's not really your mom." Sam mumbled just loud enough that only they could hear.

"That's too bad." Danny replied. "It's a lot of fun."

She had felt guilty about lying to them, but the thought of going to the Ghost Zone to get in a room with a bunch of people (or ghosts) that she's probably never met before… well, Isabelle tended to avoid social gatherings for a reason. She finished her shopping and went home where, upon arrival, Tracy announced that they had been invited to a neighbors, Christmas party. It was also on Christmas eve.

"We could go to that, or- and stay with me now- or… we could go to a Christmas party in the Ghost Zone." Isabelle immediately offered in reply. She had to explain the party Danny had told her about. Trace didn't seem too convinced. "I don't know… I mean- I'm only human, I can't go to the Ghost Zone."

"Why not? Samantha and Tucker do it all the time, and they're just as human as you. Please? come to this party with me?"

"What do I tell our neighbor?" Tracy asked.

"Make something up, this party will be more fun anyway."

Tracy considered Isabelle's proposal for a moment, and just when Isabelle thought she had won her over, Tracy threw her a curve. "Tell you what. _I'll_ go to the neighbor's party, and _you_ go with Danny and his friends to theirs."

"Or, I could just not go to either."

oOo

Three days before Christmas Eve, after Vlad had been giving her a lesson on making a shadow clone, when she made her decision.

"What are you doing for Christmas." He asked casually.

"I'm going with Danny and his friends to this ghost party thing." She replied without missing a beat. The problem with lying was the sometimes a knee jerk reaction might cause you a lot of trouble in the long run. It wasn't so bad in this case- hopefully she could still go with them.

"The Christmas Truce party?"

"Yes, that."

Vlad looked thoughtful for a moment, though slightly sinister too. When his thoughts returned to the present, he didn't say anything else. It took her a moment to realize that he had been considering keeping her from the party.

_Probably going to threaten me with that "maximus" thing._ She shuddered at the thought. That night she called Danny and was relieved to find that he was happy that she had 'changed her mind'. The day after that Sam called her to talk about dresses, something Isabelle never expected from the goth girl- that is, until she saw the dresses that Sam had in mind.

They were on sale too, because they were what had been leftover from Halloween. "Perfect." Isabelle grinned at Sam.

Over the next two days, Isabelle tried to get Tracy to blow off her party and come to theirs, but Tracy would not agree. Christmas Eve came, and the two women split ways. Isabelle flew to Danny's house, phasing invisibly through the walls and floors into their basement where the three teenagers waited for her.

The four of them were going as friends, though Isabelle could see some awkward chemistry between Sam and Danny. The younger halfa ushered everyone into his family's Specter Speeder and- to Isabelle's surprise- drove it into the Ghost Portal. The fact that these were kids and they were doing things like this all the time, was a bit of an amusing shock to her.

_They _are_ about, what, fifteen? Sixteen? I shouldn't be so surprised. This is a very advanced age to be living in._

When Danny pulled up to a large house, Isabelle thought to ask, "How did you find out about this anyway? The party I mean."

All three teens laughed slightly at the question, and told her about a ghost named Ghost Writer. Danny explained that he had accidentally destroyed something belonging to him and had to basically 'endure his wrath', but it had all been few years ago. "It's in the past now," Danny said waving his hand dismissively. "He's really a great guy, and it doesn't hurt that he helped me stumble across this little get-together."

"I hear that." Tucker smiled, holding the door open for everyone to enter.

Inside, it looked as if Santa's elves themselves lived here. The place was decorated from floor to ceiling. And her first fear was recognized. Ghosts, everywhere. A few she recognized, but nobody she really knew. Her first instinct was to shrink to the corner and make a stealthy escape, but Tucker walked in behind her and she changed her mind, deciding to stick to their small group.

First, they were introducing her to some of their closer friends; Frostbite, Skulker, and even Ghost Writer himself! Others they pointed out from across the room; Ember, Youngblood, and Box Ghost…

"…And that's Nocturne- oh and there's Vlad-" Danny said quietly continuing his introductions, though he and his two best friends watched as Isabelle looked up to see Plasmius, then duck behind Tucker.

"You didn't tell me he'd be here." She growled to Danny through her teeth.

"I didn't know. Keeping tabs on people is _his_ creepy habit."

Tucker began inching away from her. "You can't hide from him." he insisted. "I don't think he's seen you yet."

It was true. He wasn't even looking in their direction. He was talking to an unusual ghost that Danny had called Nocturne. But he was facing them. That's what tipped her off. "No. He knows I'm here." _He can feel energy. Ours, probably everyones._

He was Plasmius at the moment, though his usual tunic was replaced for something more appropriate for the occasion. The dark suit a change from the usual white.

"What are you hiding for?" Sam hissed, pulling her out from behind Tucker by her elbow. "I didn't get you that dress so you could hide behind people." The dress had been Sam's Christmas present to her, and she _did_ love the dress, but suddenly she was feeling self-conscious and kinda silly. She had no business being here. Parties weren't really her game. She felt even more out of place when she realized that she was the only one of the halfa's present that was in their human form.

_Too late to change now, I'm already inside._ She fidgeted with the hem of the dress. _It's probably fine, nobody'll notice- or care! …yeah._

She glanced around the room, first to see where everything was, then to see where everyonewas. There was a sort of snack bar, made up of tables lining the two far walls and meeting in the corner.

"Where to?" She asked Danny. Keeping tabs on where people were walking through her peripheral vision. Then having to correct herself. This was a _truce_ party, she didn't need to be on her guard! But her instincts kept her ever aware of what was going on around her.

"Well I guess we could- where's Tuck?"

"He walked off in that direction-" she pointed far to her left where Tucker was trying out some pickup lines on a few girls who were giggling in response.

"We're going to dance." Sam said as she grabbed Danny and start walking away.

"But-" Danny started to interject.

"Come on." She heard Sam hiss.

Something was off, and standing there in the open by herself, she was a sitting duck. Without looking to where she could still feel Vlad's presence, she walked to the farthest corner of the room, putting as many people/ghosts between him and herself as she could. It was there that she found something that she didn't see from the other side of the room. A bar.

_I'll be hitting that up pretty soon._ She thought as she ducked behind a pillar and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't feel as though she had been followed. That was until…

"Oh, I remember you." Someone said a little louder than she was comfortable with. Thankfully his voice dropped after that. Isabelle turned to face Frostbite. "Danny's friend, Isabelle."

"Yes, that's right." She nodded, reaching out to shake his hand. When his hand grasped hers, a slight shock sparked between their fingers.

"Sorry about that. It's been staticy this time of year." She apologized.

"Do no worry about it," He waved a clawed hand dismissively. "But that was no static electricity, that was a discharge from your lightning core."

"…My what?" She asked after a second. Something nagging in the back of her mind.

Frostbite gave her a perplexed look. "Your ghost core," He continued. "It is a lightning core. …You were not aware of this?"

"You know I'm half-ghost?" He nodded with a smile, so she continued. "I mean, I can make electricity with my hands and sometimes lightning if I concentrate-but.. what does this mean?"

"Nothing. It simply means that your ghostly element is lightning. My own is ice," He lifted his ice arm to show her. "As is Danny Phantom's ghost core."

"So that's why I can't make ice? Because of my ghost core?"

"I'm afraid so. But it only means that you have a whole different range of powers to unlock."

Isabelle laughed at this. "You really think I could 'unlock' hidden powers?"

"But of course! I sense much potential within you, and you can trust me on that. I'm good with these sort of things!"

They shared a chuckle and Isabelle found herself falling into easy conversation with the yeti-like creature. Together they walked to the bar to get a drink as they continued to talk about cores. When Isabelle asked if he knew anyone who might be able to help her with her lightning powers, Frostbite seemed to become wary, though he did answer.

"We of the Far Frozen have not had much contact with those who have heated cores- at least until recently." He glanced over his shoulder to where Vlad was chatting up with Skulker and Ember now. "As for lightning? It's been eons before you since I met someone with a lightning core, but that's not to say that they aren't out there."

"I-I'm… the only one in _how_ long?"

Frostbite sighed heavily. "I know of a ghost who can create storms and by proxy, lightning. But his core is really more of a wind element. The true lightning elementals were a strong and proud race of ghosts. If there are any left today they are spread far and thin. As I understand, not many are born- or I should say- _die_, that have the traits to develop a lightning core."

"Traits?" She asked as she finished off her first shot of bourbon and ordered a second. She had been sipping it while Frostbite gave her a most educational lecture.

"Your traits, that define you. Are you a happy person? Mischievous? Maybe you're the serious type? Loyal and loving? These things determine what kind of person you are, and they also determine what kind of ghost you'll be."

"So my personality kinda made me have electrical powers?"

"Not quite, but that would be the gist of it." There was a pause before he continued. "Isabelle you have a special gift, not just that you're one of the few halfa's that exist in this world. Your lightning core is a rare element, and a wonderful ability."

"I feel… suddenly much better about this whole ghost thing I've got going on." _Or it could be the two shots of bourbon I just knocked back._

"I'm glad I could help!" Frostbite replied with a laugh as he gulped down the rest of whatever was in his mug. Her conversation with Frostbite, though relaxing, had distracted her for a while, and she now had no idea where anyone was that she had been keeping track of. But she no longer cared about that. Frostbite moved on to converse with other partygoers, and Isabelle decided to do the same. Some of the ghosts she had never met before were able to tell immediately that she was half-ghost. Some couldn't. A few that she had met before almost didn't recognize her in her human form.

She had been talking with Ember, actually getting along quite well with the musical artist- they discovered that they had similar taste in music as well as a few things in common- when behind Isabelle, they heard Skulker address his girlfriend.

"Hey babe, let's hit the dance floor while this song is still playing." Isabelle looked over her shoulder to see Skulker approaching the two girls… Vlad right next to him, a drink of his own in hand. So if Skulker was about to take Ember away, that meant…

Vlad took Ember's place standing next to her and waved to Skulker and Ember. Normally Isabelle would feel annoyed, uncomfortable, and maybe even disgusted too, but tonight she'd had two drinks already. She wasn't trying to get drunk on purpose, but knowing that she'd have to deal with Vlad eventually, she needed something to help take the edge off. The first drink had done that, and the second had been like a pep talk in a glass. Now with him in front of her, she was feeling less uncomfortable, more confident, and maybe even a little mischievous… but equally annoyed.

"Sooo…" Vlad said, gaze drifting around the room before finally landing on her. "an electric core?"

Ohhh, _definitely_ annoyed! "Lightning core." She corrected.

"Right, of course! It explains quite a bit actually." He said, then took a long sip from the brown-amber liquid in the short glass he brought with him. When he didn't continue, Isabelle's streak for ignoring his childishness seemed to snap.

"Why do you do that?" She asked.

"Do what?" He shot back smoothly, setting his drink back down.

She didn't answer, only gave his a disbelieving look. When he repeated the question, Isabelle sighed heavily. "Mr. Masters, if you're going to act like a child then I'm not going to talk with y-"

"All right, all right. But, maybe you could elaborate? What _is_ it I'm doing?"

"What you just did, Mr. Masters, was try to bait me."

"Bait you?"

"Yes."

"Into what?"

"You tell me. You're the one who was doing it. Now, _what_ about my lightning core "explains quite a bit, _actually_"?"

He smiled lightly, a soft 'Oh,' before he thought about it for a moment, apparently trying to get his words together. "I was simply commenting on how… similar your are to your natural element. As you should be."

"I'm similar to lightning?" She asked, momentarily disbelieving his explanation.

"Yes. You… you have a spark about you. You could say that, your actions, your personality, matches your element. That's what Frostbite was trying to tell you. I only mean that it's… very _fitting_, for you."

"…Thank you. I think." Isabelle replied. Thinking over everything she had learned in the last hour. _And to think, I wasn't going to come to this thing!_

"So, what's the element for a pompous fruit loop?" She asked after a moment. There was a pause, where she watched his expression, a second where he looked at her with a mixture of shock, "What?!" He yelped, drowned out by the sound of the party. She cracked a smile. And then, for just a second, he returned it.

"Why must you insist on antagonizing me?" He didn't sound angry, just mildly annoyed and even a little hurt.

"Well… you must understand that I hold negative feelings toward you." She replied, phrasing her sentence like he might- choosing her words carefully, hoping to agitate him. He was right, she really did like to pick at him.

He went to say something, but stopped. They both took a sip from their drink in the awkward silence that followed.

"It's also-kind of- part of my personality." An excuse, and she knew it. "But… you _do_ understand, why I just don't… like you?"

"Is if only because of those reasons?" He asked.

"Name the reasons, Vlad."

He took a deep breath as if he was preparing himself for a root canal. "Is it only because I have placed you under my control that you feel this way toward me?" He wouldn't look her in the eye when he asked.

"Don't forget the constant surveillance, or the way you try to manipulate my schedule to fit _your_ needs."

"You know about the cameras?" He was more surprised and impressed than angry.

"It's a little bug with your face on it. Not very subtle." She said. "Yes, I know about it. And I don't like it either. You treat me like a pawn. And it doesn't help that because of this-" she lifted her arm with the bracelet, "-that's all I seem to be."

He considered this for a minute or two. "You feel like a prisoner." He concluded.

"I am a prisoner." She corrected. "Granted, I'm not locked away from the light of day, but I definitely don't have much freedom to speak of anymore." sighing heavily she met his gaze "Sometimes, I wish I'd never answered that ad."

"Isabelle," He said. When he didn't continue right away, she looked back to him. "In light of the holiday, would you consider honoring the Christmas Truce, and set aside our differences for one night?"

"Why, so you can have your way at my expense again?" There hadn't been any malice in her voice, but he knew it must be lying just under the surface.

"What if I gave you something in exchange?" He pressed. "That way we would both get something out of this."

"Like what?"

"What do you want? I can get you almost anything." He had said that under the assumption that she would ask for something that he could buy with his billions of dollars. Something material. Something _he_ might ask if he were in her situation. In hindsight, he should have seen this coming.

"I want this thing off my arm. I want my freedom back." She said, once more lifting the bracelet for him to see. The sleek polished metal gleaming in the light from the disco ball.

"Anything else I could persuade you to-"

"The only thing I want is my freedom. It's that or no deal."

He regarded her silently. The only sounds were from around them: music, people talking, clatter of tableware. She was staring at him too, her usual calculating or blank stare replaced by anticipatory… anger? He couldn't be sure. Maybe she expected him to say no.

_How amusing._ He thought. A small smirk playing at his lips. _This little girl has caused me so much trouble. The biggest problem being that I can't seem to get her out of my head._

"Alright."

_A.N.: This chapter took a bit because I was having some trouble plotting out the party, as well as having to keep in mind what I plan for the next few chapters coming 's where the plot begins to escalate a bit._


	26. Chapter 26 Christmas Day

**Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.**

Thank you everyone for your reviews! I absolutely love to hear from you. And I would also like to thank you for your patience.

-oOo-

The world seemed to shudder for a moment, and just like that he was awake and aware of the pounding in his head. His first thought was about the strange cold tingling sensation, followed by vague memories of rolling over all morning and pressing his head into the coldest areas on his pillow. He did just that, carefully moving, trying not to jostle his body too much and did his best to hold completely still so as not to aggravate the pain more. _Fucking hangovers. Fucking _booze. He wanted to throw up- _knew_ he would feel so much better if he threw up!- but honestly would rather avoid it at all costs. But the remaining tastes in his mouth were triggering his senses. There were smells in the sheets. More alcohol-_Tequila?_- sweat- ugh- and… something his mashed potato brains couldn't quite place. His senses were assaulted which seemed to overload his brain and as if on cue, his stomach seemed to churn in response.

Cracking an eye open log enough to see that the sun was shining brightly in his room. He groaned meekly, reaching his hand up to press his palm to his eyes felt itchy and dry even though they were closed. He wanted to rub them, but knew it would only put pressure on his head _At least I only have to endure it long enough for my body to heal._.

Which wouldn't take vey long for a half-ghost- the only upside to having to drink all the extra alcohol in order to get a little drunk. Though it was clear that over the night he had to drink a lot more to have gotten _this_ drunk. (As a matter of fact, there had been a point in which his stomach had nearly been full with his various drinks- something that would _kill_ the liver of most normal humans.)

Some of it must've still been in his system- he really needed to throw that up and rinse out his stomach. That would be the first step to getting over the hangover. No. First he would have to close the curtains. That sunlight was really bright. Just as he was about to summon the strength to go close the windows- and probably straight to the toilet after that-

"Vlad." It was phrased almost like a question, but it was to get his attention.

Turning back over, eyes now open, his brain finally placed the long forgotten smell. _Sex, and sweat. And also shame._ He thought bitterly, though his face was one of as much shock as one in his state could have. Half propped up on an elbow, lying mostly naked with only the fabric of the sheets between the two of them, was Isabelle. The events of the previous night slowly came into focus. She looked worse than he felt, and if he hadn't felt so bad himself, he might have laughed at her own shocked expression. It was her own fault though, for remaining human all night.

"Morning." He mumbled, eyes glancing to the bracelet on her wrist. Something about that bugged him. "Uhh… the bathroom's.. n'there." He pointed to a door on the opposite side of the room. "Ifyouneedit."

"Vlad." She repeated. Her voice was hoarse, and strained. He turned to face her. "What happened last night?"

He stared at her for a moment. "What do you remember?" He managed after his brain registered the question.

She was quiet, and there was a look of pained concentration on her face. Finally she shook her head and said, "The Christmas Truce. We were at the party… Vlad, what happened-is this _your_shirt?" She pulled lightly at the oversized white dress shirt- he vaguely noted that it hadn't been buttoned up at all- running her other hand through her hair.

"Look," He sighed. "Let's just focus on getting over this, and I'll explain everything later. After we've eaten."

"…Vlad. Just tell me one thing." She was forcing herself to keep her head up and eyes open. "D-did we… did we have-"

"Sex last night?" He finished for her. "It sure looks that way…" His headache was making him irritable. He groaned again. "Yes, we did. Okay?"

She didn't reply. Only hopped up off the bed and ran for the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. He stared at the door for a second, not knowing what to make of her reaction, but then he heard the sound of retching followed immediately by something splashing into the toilet. Quietly, though clumsily, he stood up and went to find another bathroom.

-oOo-

Isabelle woke in a similar fashion- the first thing she became aware of was a loud pounding in her head. Though the reason for the pounding in _her_ head wasn't just from the alcohol induced migraine. It was rhythmic.

_Ba-BUMP, ba-BUMP, ba-BUMP._

A heart beat. At first she assumed it was the sound of her own blood throbbing in her skull with each beat. But as she lifted her head to roll over- away from the bright sunlight blasting through the window- she was met with the sensation not unlike pulling your face off a leather couch after falling asleep on it. Cracking her eyes open slowly to see where she had managed to pass out (sticking with the idea that it was a leather couch) she immediately sat up and scooted away to the opposite side of the bed.

Her mind was having trouble processing what she was seeing. Like having to reread the same lines over and over only to still have no idea what it says. Bare chest. White hair. Goatee to match. No. NO!

"Oh my god." Though she was only able to mouth the words, as no sound would come out. He groaned, and she froze. Watching intently as he lifted a hand to his forehead, though it was his chest she couldn't stop staring at. _For an old guy he's pretty cut. _She thought. He cracked an eye open for only a split second. Though the sunlight was like a knife through her brain, she couldn't bring herself to care about it. Not when she'd just woken up naked next to what could possibly be her worst enemy. He slowly turned over, lying face down and pressing his face into one of the pillows. She ogled at the toned structure of his back. Her own heart was racing, which only made worse her already pounding head. Her stomach lurched, ready to purge the unholy liquid that remained from the night before.

Fighting not to gag, she spoke in a shaky voice. "Vlad." Trying to see if he was awake.

There was a pause, then just as slowly he turned back to face her. Blue puffy, bloodshot eyes open, though clearly (like herself) not yet fully awake. He stared at for for a second or two. "Morning."

-oOo-

In the bathroom, Isabelle crouched, hugging at the porcelain bowl with one hand, and holding her hair back with the other. Her entire abdomen clenched, forcing her stomach to expel its contents. A nasty acidic liquid bubbled up in her throat, burning it, and her sinuses as it came from her mouth and nose. Two… three… _four_ times she heaved before nothing but foam would come out. Taking a few minutes to rest her head on her arm, she breathed heavily through her mouth, not wanting to smell whatever she'd just regurgitated. Sweat dripped from her whole body, and though all she wanted to do was pass out and sleep for a week, she wiped her mouth and went to the sink to rinse it. Teeth grinding together like sandpaper, and the horrible taste of bile. After rinsing out her mouth, she gulped a few sips of water, not caring that it was from the tap. It helped a bit, but she knew it would only be coming back up in a few minutes.

_At least I'll have something to throw up now instead of dry heaving. _She examined herself in the mirror. Naked save for the silky white shirt- a shame that it was now covered in sweat. She looked like she'd been through hell. _What the _hell_ happened last night?_

Still dizzy and nauseous, she wrapped her arms around her chest- too tired to bother with the buttons- she opened to door and walked back to the bed. But Vlad was gone now. A clock on the wall read that it was almost 3:00 in the afternoon. Collapsing on the bed, she pulled the covers over her shoulders as the shivering began- the layer of sweat on her skin freezing her. While she lay curled under the covers waiting for her body temperature to regulate, she was able to remember a bit about the previous night. Not much, just a few things. She knew that she had overdone it with the drinking. A glimpse of a memory flashed behind her closed eyelids. _Sitting across from Plasmius, they were both knocking back shots of something, surrounded by ghosts who were cheering them on_. Apparently at some point one of them had challenged the other to a game of 'drink', after she told Vlad about her Irish ancestry. Another flash, and they were… dancing. Vlad had mentioned at some point that he could dance well. She vaguely remembered turning into Red and at one point, _she and Vlad were in the Ghost Zone floating through the space-like world, carrying on a drunken conversation_. Where had Danny been through all this? How could they let her go home with Vlad?

She figured she would only be able to get a few minutes of rest before her stomach would have her running to the bathroom again, but instead she was rudely awakened by someone phasing through the door, not even bothering to knock. At first she thought it was Vlad- who else would be so rude?- but instead it was someone else she recognized.

"Skulker." She said. There was something in one of his hands. Cloth.

"My employer has requested that I deliver this to you." He sat it on the bed next to her feet. It was her dress from the night before. "And also to tell you that you should assume your ghost form and meet him in the dining hall for breakfast."

"I'm not hungry." She managed after a minute. "And I really don't want to be a ghost right now"_._

"He said you would say that." She wanted to roll her eyes, but he wouldn't be able to see it behind her lids. "That's why he also requested that I inform you of your healing abilities while in your ghost for-"

"If I get up and go downstairs… will you finally shut up?"

Skulker glared at her, but didn't say anything. Instead her turned and phased out of the room the same way he entered. After a few more minutes, she threw the covers back and pulled the dress over her head, leaving Vlad's dress shirt on the bed. Just as she was about to walk out the door, she turned and raced back to the toilet and threw up again.

When she finally made it downstairs- having gotten lost a few times and resorting to taking Vlad's advice and turning ghost- she found the "dining hall". It was exactly what its name implied. A room that could have once been a giant hallway, with a single long table. Though there were only two chairs on the opposite ends. Vlad Plasmius was already seated at one end, so she sat down at the other.

When she saw Plasmius, she was treated to another memory- _in his house- she can tell from the decor- though she's in a room that she's never been in before. Her memory of the room itself was hazy too. He was in his ghost form, but she had returned to Isabelle at some point. _There was already a plate in front of her, with the general breakfast foods on it (bacon, eggs and toast) as well as a variety of fruits. But she didn't trust her stomach to hold any of it, so she gingerly sipped from the glass of water, avoiding the orange juice for now.

"I see you took my advice about… going ghost." Vlad said, finally breaking the silence. "Your ghost half will help you recover much faster than your human half could."

"Did you cook all of this?" She asked.

"Not today, no." He answered taking a bite of toast. It was slightly burnt, but that had been on purpose. "Didn't feel up to the task just yet. You should eat."

She wanted to ask who had made breakfast if he hadn't, but didn't really care enough to ask. Talking was a bit of an effort still. "No. My stomach's weak."

Plasmius only nodded as he piled some of the bacon and eggs onto another slice of toast to make a sandwich out of it, Red had to look away as he bit into it. "Give yourself a few minutes, you'll feel better."

While he continued to dig into his meal, already feeling much better than when he woke up, Red only rested her head on the table and waited for her body to heal itself. She didn't have to wait that long before her stomach growled. Ready to digest something substantial. By then her food was cold and a bit greasy, but she didn't care. She dug in with relish. By the time she cleared her plate, the only thing bothering her was her head, but that too was slowly getting better. She couldn't even feel embarrassed anymore about having slept with Vlad.

"So," Isabelle said, feeling much more chipper. "Care to tell me what happened last night?" She wanted to go home- Tracy was probably worried about her!- but not before getting the answers she needed.

"Well…" He thought it over for a moment. "My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I do know that we talked a bit, shared some drinks and danced for a while… then we… came back here."

"Can you me more specific?"

"What is the last thing you remember clearly?"

"We were talking about…" She glanced down to her wrist where the bracelet was. Then lifted it for him to see. "My freedom," He grimaced at that. "We came to an agreement as I remember."

"Anything after that?" He asked, still looking at the bracelet.

Again, she had to think carefully before answering. "Not much- there's a reason they call it "blackout drunk"… We talked… a lot. Though I don't remember what the conversations were about-" She saw a grimace return to his face for a split second before he covered it up, and she wondered just _what_ they had talked about. "-We had drinks… vodka, bourbon… wine at some point?" He nodded. "But that's where I lost track. Why were we drinking so much in the first place? I almost _never_ drink. Especially that much."

"We started out responsible enough." He insisted. He shook his head before continuing. "After we had those few drinks together, Ember started… karaoke." He said the word with destain. His eyebrows shot up for a second, before he gave her a knowing smile. "I didn't know you could sing."

"Aw, man!" She groaned. "How could you tell, you'd been drinking? …What did I sing?"

"I don't know the song." He admitted, but ignored her skepticism. "After you won second place-"

"I won something? Neat."

"Please stop interrupting me." She did one more time to apologize and he continued. "We… talked… about a lot of things."

"Like?"

"I don't remember all of it, only what… stood out to me."

Red had caught the implication that he had slipped and worried about what information she had leaked. _What does he know?_

Vlad coughed nervously and attempted to cover his blunder. "You talked a bit about being in high school, both times I mean. Some pets you've had, some activities you enjoy. Things like that. You actually suggested that I get myself a ferret." He explained, and she was able to relax a bit, knowing there was at least some truth to that. But she knew he was holding back something.

"Yeah, it'd be much less creepier than the image of an old guy and his cat- will you remove this now?" She asked suddenly, catching him off guard easily now that she was back to feeling 100%. He only stared at the bracelet, gaping like a fish. There was clearly something he wanted to say, or didn't want to say. He couldn't make up his mind. "Vlad?" She snapped when he continued to silently gape like a fish.

"N-No." He replied.

"_What?!_"

"No." He said again a bit louder. "I can't do that. Not yet- I still… I still need you."

"What _for_?!" Red snapped. "You promised you would! You don't need me, you're so much stronger than I am, how could I possibly be of use to you?"

"I still need you because- you are an essential element- _key_ even- to… my plans." He stumbled over his reply. "Besides, I _will_ remove that from you. I _will…_ let you go… just not-"

"No you won't." Red interrupted, she sounded hurt and it hurt him to know that it was his fault. She changed back into Isabelle as if it were an admission of defeat. She felt a gust of air puff near her accompanied by a muffled "pop". A pair of hands grasped her own and she turned to find that he had teleported across the hall and was now standing next to her.

"_Yes._" he said sternly. "I _will_. I promise this."

She scoffed with a condescending smile and shook her head, "Promises," saying it like the word itself left a bad taste on her tongue. "Are rarely kept. They are made to be broken." She wanted to believe in him, and even thoughts of her conversation with Clockwork surfaced. But she couldn't. After all the things he'd done to her so far, she didn't want to trust him, or forgive him. Part of her even wanted him to leave the bracelet on simply so she would have a reason to continue hating him.

"I-I have to go." She said shakily, her hands slipping easily from his grasp.

"Where are you going?" He followed her as she turned and made her way through the halls.

"Home." she replied simply. "My 'mom' is probably worried about me." She said with a hint of sarcasm. "Besides, it's Christmas and I can't leave her all alone." She continued to wander the halls, having learned to navigate them relatively well in all her visits. He followed behind, not making any moves to stop her. Mostly because he was preoccupied watching the sway of her hips- he was secretly glad that all she had to wear was that dress- but also because he was afraid of doing something he might regret. He prided himself in keeping his emotions from clouding his judgment- but it wasn't easy when the one exception for his control was pushing his buttons and then walking away.

"Why don't you two come over here for the day?" He asked, his eyes having to snap back up to an appropriate level as she turned around to face him, stopping in the middle of the hallway. "I mean- it's not like I'm going to have company anyway- you can even bring that dog of yours, although he might not get along with Mad-"

"You were going to spend Christmas alone?" She asked. "Like… on purpose?"

"Well it's not as if I go out of my way to be alone, I just didn't make any plans for this year." He replied. But it only seemed to fuel her thoughts.

_To spend the holidays alone… He really is the picture of a lonely old recluse. All he's missing is a cat and a bathrobe. Wait… get along with who? _"Hector might not get along with who?"

"Maddie, my cat. She's-" He stopped short when he saw her shaking her head.

She looked to him and nodded. "Tell you what, I'm going home now. I'm going to run that by Tracy and see what she thinks- she is my mother slash supervisor, after all."

"And then you'll come back?" It was clear that he wanted to be near her, but now she could see that he was even a little desperate for company.

She glanced at the bracelet once more, contemplating all the pros and cons of her unfortunate and confusing situation. "…I'll give you a call." She answered, turned, and made her exit.

oOo

About four and a half hours later, Vlad opened the front door to Isabelle and Tracy, bundled in coats and winter wear, who immediately walked over the threshold into the warm house. Right behind them at their feet the large dog padded in after them.

"I brought a rotisserie turkey." Tracy announced to Vlad as she walked in, thrusting the bird into his arms. When Isabelle had come in after being gone all night, she'd been worried. When Isabelle said that she had been with Vlad, she'd been excited. When Isabelle explained that even after their night together, even after promising he would remove the device, he'd done no such thing- Oh there was hell to pay!

"Oh, uh, thanks." He replied. "We'll just go to the kitchen then."

"Vlad, this is Tracy Redd." Isabelle explained. "Tracy, Vlad."

Tracy extended a hand to him. "I've heard things about you."

"Good things I hope?" Vlad said as he shook her hand.

"Things." Was Tracy's only reply.

"-And you already know, Hector." Isabelle interjected quickly, only to watch as the dog's hackles raised at the sight and smell of the other halfa.

"Clearly." Tracy muttered to Isabelle.

"Oh and by the way, Vlad, she knows about your being half-ghost also." Isabelle explained as they followed behind Tracy who was wandering through the halls looking up and around the enormous house. The look Vlad gave her when she told him was comical. Fear and indignation.

"Butternuts!" Vlad cursed, and Isabelle had to stifle a laugh. "Is there _anybody_ who doesn't know?" He growled.

"Anybody who doesn't know'?" Isabelle repeated thoughtfully. "Well I haven't told the Guys in White, and as far as I know, they don't know."

Vlad considered this for a moment and while he was busy thinking that that was probably not so bad, Isabelle leaned in close to him, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "And considering Plasmius is one of their top priorities? You're welcome." She said pointedly, before walking ahead to Tracy. "Come on, Trace. Kitchen's this way."

The three of them used the roasted turkey, and raided the man's fridge to make up a kind of holiday dinner. Vlad tried tossing a few scraps to Hector in hopes of getting on the dog's good side, but Hector only sniffed at the strip of turkey on the floor, before turning his nose up and wandering closer to Isabelle. "I don't think he's ever going to like me." Vlad said.

"He'll come around." Isabelle assured while scratching the dog's ears. The dog was panting happily, but Vlad almost swore the dog looked smugly at him- if that was even possible for a dog to do.

Afterwards Vlad invited Isabelle to a game of chess as he showed them to what he called his "den", which turned out to be a room with a bunch of leather couches, chairs, two tables, and animal heads on the walls.

"Oh, well I actually don't really play chess." She said.

"Do you not know how?" He asked. "I could teach y-"

"No, I know how to play- eh, kind of."

"'Kind of'?"

"It's been a while since I've played." She explained.

He opened the doors to the fireplace that instantly lit up. "Were these the animals that came back as ghosts and fought you that one time?" Tracy asked, gesturing to the animal heads.

"…yes. I suppose so." Vlad answered. Then to Isabelle he spoke as he produced a chess board and began setting up the pieces on a table "Maybe you just need to get back into a rhythm. How long has it been, two or three years?"

"More like fifteen." She replied, taking a seat across from him. She was white. He was giving her the advantage. "So don't expect anything spectacular."

A few pieces clattered over the table as Vlad clumsily placed a rook while staring slack-jawed at her. "_Fifteen_?!" He repeated in an appalled tone.

While he stared at her, she reached over and began replacing the fallen pieces in their proper places. "I was on the chess team at my elementary school and middle school too."

"So what happened?" Tracy asked from the couch on the left. Vlad nodded in agreement.

"Well my grades were terrible so I lost the privilege to join one year. I was only really in it because my brothers were too, so when I got kicked out, I stopped playing altogether."

"You were in the chess club. Were you any good?" Vlad asked.

"I placed third in a regional tournament when I was twelve." She replied as she placed the final pieces. "That was my last official game, though I played my- some friends a few times."

Vlad was curious what she had been about to say, but instead he asked, "Why did you stop playing after that?"

"After that I went to middle school, and to be in the chess club there…" She started the game by moving a knight in front of her pawns. Not yet a threat to any of his pieces, but implying bolder moves to come. "well-you see, the thing was, certain privileges were tied to having certain grades that I would never have been able to achieve."

"You were failing!" Vlad realized. "And they kicked you out." He was laughing slightly as he moved one of his pawns only one space forward.

"Only from not doing any of the work… okay, and maybe I failed some tests too, but they didn't really 'teach' as much as 'tell'."

"Were your grades terrible?" He asked. When she nodded after moving another piece, he continued. "Even in high school?" Moving one of his own, not needing much time to think.

"Actually, it was only my school grades that were so terrible. My testing scores were a different story." She moved another pawn, trying to open up paths for the stronger pieces. "I remember this one time, two weeks into the new term- new classes and everything- " Vlad brought out one of his rooks. It was two moves away from taking the knight she had put out in the center, but it was guarded by a pawn, so he wouldn't go for it just yet or he's lose it to a pawn. "Two weeks was all it took for me to see that there was _no_ way that I was going to spend another four months stuck in a classroom with this teacher. He was the worst. So I just cut that class for the rest of the year." She brought out the bishop closest to her king and placed it so that the knight was now guarding it safely.

Everyone laughed at this. "You failed, surely?" Vlad asked around chuckles. Then he lined up his rook to take her knight. Seeing the pawn that would take his piece, but obviously willing to sacrifice it for part of a plan.

"Only the class." She said, moving her queen forward a bit. "Of course! I never showed up, so I never got credit for any of it." Vlad moved another pawn forward, this time two spaces. It was poised to take the pawn guarding her knight. She would have to sacrifice the pawn to save the knight. "But I did attend all my other classes, and so at the end of the year, I go to take my final exams- it's a three hour disaster where you fill in the bubbles and answer stuff about what you learned, usually stuff they were supposed to have taught you but didn't for some reason or excuse- and who should be there to hand me my test?" She moved her queen up to guard the bishop she had already placed. It was set to follow directly in it's path, but also to guard it.

Before answering, Vlad took her pawn with his own. "The teacher you didn't like." His eyes were still on her knight, expecting her to move it safely out of his rook's way now that it was unprotected.

"Exactly. But he didn't seem to recognize me, or if he did he didn't care. So I take all the tests and get it over with, a few weeks go by and my scores come in." She moved the bishop forward to take the pawn diagonal of his king and in front of his bishop. "And I had aced the whole thing. Only missed one answer and I just know it was for something stupid, that I should have _known_. That's checkmate by the way."

And she was right. His king had been trapped in place by the adjacent pieces, all of which could not move in a direction that would take the offending piece. The king _could_ take her bishop, but she had placed her queen to take care of that problem. She had distracted him with aggressive moves from the knight, drawing his attention away from the real threat. It was indeed checkmate. From where she sat watching, Tracy could see the indignation under his expression, but Vlad only insisted on another game. "I wasn't paying attention. Underestimated you, is all. it won't happen again."

_Oh, yes it will._ Tracy thought. _You have no idea_.

"I know you weren't, now, do you want to be white this time?" Isabelle asked, a hint of a smile in her tone.

"No, you be it." He replied, already placing the black pieces in front of him.

They played three more games, and when she tied them one to one with a stalemate, he insisted on best of five. "Some other time." She yawned. Pointing to Tracy who had fallen asleep on her couch sometime during one of the last few games. "Christmas was over hours ago and I need to get us home and in bed."

"Why not spend the night? I have plenty of spare rooms- this is a mansion after all!"

"Yeah… I guess." Isabelle answered as she shook Tracy awake. "Trace… Trace.. TRACY!"

When Tracy finally woke up enough to hold a conversation, she happily agreed to spending the night, not feeling up to going all the way home at nearly 4:00 in the morning. They followed Vlad through his house as he assigned them their own rooms. Isabelle's was across from Tracy's. Isabelle, remembering one of two times she had ever seen Vlad's room, realized that he had given them rooms a reasonable distance from them.

"…If for any reason you're up before nine, I usually have an early breakfast. 8:45- though considering the time now, it'll probably be much later. If you're interested in joining me…" Vlad said, standing in the middle of the hallway with a woman on either side of him.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Vlad." Isabelle assured him with a tired smile.

Vlad returned the smile, "Of course. Sweet dreams, ladies." He said, before turning swiftly on his heel and walking down the hallway and up a flight of stairs.

Isabelle watched him until he was out of sight. When he was gone, she happened to notice that the other woman in front of her was looking at her with a tired, but knowing smirk.

"What?" Isabelle asked, purposefully putting a tone of attitude in her voice.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking: Since you're spending the night again, you may as well sleep in his room again, too."

"Trace!" Isabelle gasped, shocked at the quip.

"Alright, I'll admit that was a bit below the belt-"

"A bit?" Isabelle scoffed. "We had a one night stand is all. And just so you know, it didn't help my situation any." She held up her hand to show Tracy the bracelet, still on her wrist. She stepped backwards from the hall into her room. "Once was enough. I'm back to square one at best."

"Red… it-it's not as bad as you think." Tracy whispered.

Isabelle actually laughed slightly at this. "You're a terrible liar, y'know that?"

Tracy didn't have a retort for that. "Well it doesn't have to mean that the game's over already."

Considering this for a moment, Isabelle nodded. "Yeah, I guess… Like I lost my queen, but the game's still early."

"Well, if you want to think of it like chess-"

"Sorry, I'm thinking about all of those games we played." Isabelle said before yawning. "Intense."

"You should go to bed." Tracy said quietly as she stepped into her room. "Nighty night."

With a shake of her head, Isabelle said, "Good night, Trace." Before closing the door. She had just enough time to take in the lavish room, furnished with a four-poster queen-sized bed, before she flopped on said bed and fell into a deep sleep.

oOo

_A.N.: thank you for reading_


	27. Chapter 27 The Holidays

**Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.**

**I'm back. I didn't abandon you! It's been ages, I know. I apologize, but I have a legit excuse. It's school. Education is important. :) Here's the chapter.**

oOo

Hector woke up at some point to the glowing remains in the fireplace. After stretching and yawning he looked around the dark room. He was alone. When he didn't immediately see Isabelle or Tracy, he got up and investigated the areas he had last seen them. He could tell that everyone left of their own accord, so that meant Vlad wasn't up to anything. Hector relaxed a little as he followed the invisible trail with his nose to the floor. Outside the windows, the early morning rays of sunlight were just beginning to peak over the horizon, casting an orange glow on everything.

As he wondered down a hallway, he was surprised to come across a scent that he almost didn't recognize. When he heard the tale-tale hissing, though, he immediately placed the smell. Five or six feet ahead of him, was a white cat, hissing nastily at him. At first he just ignored the animal- it was just some stupid cat!- But when he tried to continue down the hallway, the hissing monstrosity jumped into his path, swiping its claws at the dog's face.

Hector wasn't intimidated by the cat, but he wasn't in the mood to fight one either. So he wagged his tail slightly, flicking his ears back in hopes of appearing friendly. The cat sat back on its hind legs and regarded Hector warily. When he tried to inch around the cat, sticking close to the walls of the hallway, the cat started hissing again. Hector had already decided- forget the cat. I have things to do!- and he bounded past it down the hall to where his trail ended at a closed door. He could tell that Isabelle was just on the other side, so he tried scratching on the wood, whining softly. Behind him, the feline was hissing and swiping, its claws bouncing off the dog's thick fur.

He wasn't hurt, but it still startled him enough to give a sharp bark at the door. He could hear movement on the other side, and glanced at the doorknob expectantly, then back at the cat worriedly. He looked just in time to watch as the cat pounced onto him, digging it's claws viciously into his back and rump. Yelping, he jumped at the door, paws swiping at the doorknob- when it suddenly opened! He fell into Isabelle, who had just been in the process of opening the door, and they both fell to the floor.

Throwing her arms over her face, she tried to shield herself as best as she could from the mess of dog feet and cat claws. Hector struggled to get up while simultaneously fighting off the feral cat. Isabelle had just enough time to realize that this must be Vlad's cat, as she pushed the heavy dog off of her, grabbed the cat roughly by its scruff and threw it into the hall. When it landed, it turned and tried to charge back into the room, but she slammed the door in its face.

"Bed." She said to Hector while she pointed to the queen sized one she had just climbed out of. Hector wasted no time, jumping up and settling down on the covers. Isabelle climbed back into bed, pulled the covers over her shoulders and attempted to go back to sleep. Outside the door, the cat's hissing and groaning died down, but thanks to Vlad's training, she could tell it was still out there, lurking. By the time Vlad came around to announce breakfast, she was already up, opening the door before he even knocked.

"Oh!" He was holding the cat- who was literally glaring at Isabelle- in one hand, the other poised to knock. "Good morning." He greeted cheerfully, and to her surprise, his attitude seemed genuine for once. Or maybe she just couldn't tell if it was forced anymore. "I was coming to invite you and Tracy for breakfast."

"Well, I'm awake. I don't know about Trace, though." Isabelle replied ignoring the angry cat. "I'll check on her in a minute. One of both of us will be down shortly."

"I hope Maddie here didn't cause you any trouble."

The cat's name wasn't lost on Isabelle, but she ignored that for the moment. "No. No trouble. Be down in just a minute." She added before smiling at him, and then closing the door in his face.

When Vlad left, taking his feline with him, Isabelle let herself into Tracy's room to find the other girl already awake, but still in bed. Playing on her phone, or texting maybe. She looked up from the device as Isabelle approached. Hector trotted over to the bed and propped his front paws up on the mattress, panting happily.

"Sooo… what was all that noise about earlier?" She asked the halfa as she scratched the dog behind its ears.

"Vlad has a cat." Was her only answer to that question. "Let's go get breakfast."

When both girls were dressed, they descended a staircase and Isabelle showed Tracy to the large dining hall where Vlad was waiting, already seated at his end of the table. He immediately stood when the girls entered the room, and- to Isabelle's surprise- walked around the table to pull out their chairs for them. "Good morning, ladies." He greeted them once they were settled in. "Hector." He added tightly, nodding to the dog, who wasn't actually seated _at_ the table, but on the floor in between Isabelle and Tracy.

To _his_ surprise, the dog gave a muffled woof- his indoor voice- in his direction. The surprise was enough to stop Vlad in his tracks on his way back to his seat, and he looked at Isabelle, questioningly. "Did he… just-"

"He's wicked smart." Isabelle said with a smile, reaching down to scratch the dog affectionately.

"German Shepherd after all." Tracy added, and all three humans shared a small chuckle.

Tracy yelped when a specter appeared out of nowhere to take their order. After the ghost left she said "I thought I was used to this ghost stuff by now."

"You could be half-ghost and never be used to it." Vlad said with a laugh. Isabelle nodded in agreement, but didn't share his amusement.

After a decent breakfast coupled with surprisingly civil- and entertaining- conversation, Tracy had to go and ruin the moment by bringing up ghosts again. Although the entire subjects of ghosts irked her for some reason she couldn't explain, Isabelle could understood her friends' excited interest in it. They were headed toward the training room- Tracy had insisted on seeing it, and Vlad was more than happy to show her. He was happy that someone was actually interested in these things. Isabelle let herself fall into step behind the two as they descended into the mansion. As they passed the laboratories, Vlad pointed out a few of his less harmful gadgets, but was quick to move on before too many questions were brought up. Other than that, not once did Vlad say anything that Isabelle knew to not be true, or try to misdirect Tracy in any way. He was being completely _honest_.

And that made Isabelle nervous. _He's never been so open. Something has to be up. He has to be hiding something!_ She thought, as they entered the training room. While Tracy marveled at the enormous training room- a room in which Isabelle had taken and dealt many a beating- Isabelle watched Vlad like a hawk, hoping that whatever he was up to, she could at least catch him in the act. But the whole day went by and still nothing. It was as if someone had replaced the Vlad she knew with some sugar-coated goody-two-shoes. Maybe he was just putting on an act for Tracy? Yes, surely that was it. The next time she met with him, he would be back to his usual conniving, scheming ways.

oOo

Christmas was gone, and the New Year came and went. Vlad was still acting as if he were on cloud nine. The happier he seemed to be, the angrier it made Isabelle. Even Danny noticed a change.

"What's up with Vlad?" Danny asked her on their first day back to school.

"What do you mean? Has he done something?" She asked hopefully as she took her seat next to the youngest halfa.

"No. That's just it. He hasn't done _anything_!" Danny said. "I haven't seen any Plasmius activity in too long."

"You too?" Isabelle asked. Danny nodded in reply.

"I think he's up to something." They both said in unison. Then, they both smiled to the other, chuckling quietly.

"So we agree." Isabelle said. "And whatever it is, knowing him, it can't be good."

"What can't be good?" Tucker asked as he took a seat in front of Danny. Sam entered the classroom behind him and sat in front of Isabelle.

"Whatever Vlad's up to." Danny replied.

"Vlad's up to something?" Sam asked.

"We think he is." Isabelle replied. "He's been acting very strange lately. and his ghost related activity has been practically nonexistent."

"Well we _did_ just finish celebrating Christmas and New Year's." Sam said. "Maybe he was taking a break for the holidays."

Isabelle, Danny and Tucker all fixed her with looks indicating that they did not, for one second, believe that to be possible.

"Okay fine! You say he's acting strange?" Sam asked Isabelle, who nodded. "Strange how?"

Isabelle didn't want to admit that she had spent Christmas with him. Although now that she thought about it, she still needed to chew these brats out for letting her go home with him from the Christmas Truce party. But for now… "He's been… I don't know. Not evil?"

"And that's a _bad_ thing?" Tucker asked.

"Well, no. But it's not a Vlad thing." Isabelle retorted. "He's been uncharacteristically… umm… not-mean."

"Are you trying to imply that he is being nice?" Sam asked with a knowing smile.

"Hey, I meant to ask you, where did you two go after the Christmas Truce-" Danny started to ask, before Isabelle interrupted.

"Hey, I meant to ask _you_," She growled, jabbing a finger at Danny, but then turning to include all three of them. "How could you let me leave with him?"

All three averted they eyes. Looking to their shoes, or picking at their nails. "Well?" Isabelle ground out.

"Well, you guys weren't fighting-" Sam said.

"Yeah, you actually looked like you guys were having a great time-" Tucker added.

"If you didn't want to be around with him you could had left." Danny finished. "Besides, it's not like you went home with him or anything… right?"

When Isabelle didn't reply, Danny asked again. "…Right?…Belle?"

Picking up on her silence, Sam groaned. "Oh no! You-"

"Alright class, I know you were having fun over your break, not having to do any homework," Mr. Lancer announced as he entered the classroom and stood in front of the chalkboard. "but the break is over. Time to hit the books!"

The whole class groaned, except for four students. Three of which were staring slack jawed at the fourth. Mr. Lancer, noticing the lack of attention from the back of the classroom said "That's enough chit-chat back there. Face front!"

When they turned to face front, and once Mr. Lancer wasn't looking, Danny leaned over and whispered "We'll finish this little chat at lunch." And his look was so intense, it could have rivaled one of Vlad's.

At lunch, Isabelle didn't bother trying to run or hide from the three. But she made them follow her out of earshot of the other kids. The last thing she needed was her either her cover blown, or for the whole school to think that Isabelle Redd was with a guy who was supposed to be old enough to be her dad. After all, she _was_ supposed to be a teenager. After rounding a corner, Danny turned ghost, grabbed Sam and Tucker, and flew up to the roof of the school. Isabelle followed.

"Alright," Sam said once they were high above any prying eyes or ears. "Spill."

"What do you want me to say?" Isabelle bit back. _That I got drunk and went home with my worst enemy? Or that I woke up naked in his bed?_

"How about, where you went with Vlad that night?" Tucker offered.

"..I.. I went with him." Isabelle said with a shrug. "I went home with him."

The two boys' jaws dropped. Their eyes seeming to bulge out of their heads. Sam however, only shook her head and sighed. "I thought so." She said.

"You 'thought so'?" Isabelle asked at the same time the boys both asked "You knew?"

After rolling her eyes, Sam said "After the way you two were all over each other-"

Isabelle groaned and buried her face in her hands.

"-It was kind of obvious. I just didn't realize you decided to… be his Christmas present." The goth girl smirked and gave her a suggestive wink, which made Danny and Tucker groan and pretend to gag.

"Samantha Manson!" Isabelle snapped at her.

"Woah! Who are you, my mother?"

"Well does you mother know you converse like _this_? What's wrong with you?" Isabelle was fuming now. "You're a teenager."

"Yeah," Tucker interjected, fixing Isabelle with a stern look. "And you're supposed to be _acting_ like one."

"Yeah, what kind of teenager runs off with a guy like Vlad?" Danny agreed.

After glaring them down for a second, Isabelle sighed and said "One who wasn't in her right mind."

"What do you mean?" Tucker asked.

"Look, no offense you guys, you're not a normal bunch of kids or anything, but I _really_ don't feel like discussing this with teenagers." Isabelle said, taking a step back. "Besides, it's highly inappropriate… and unprofessional." _And so is this entire situation with Vlad._ She realized. "..and I'm going to lunch." She said, taking another step toward the edge of the roof.

"Wait, Belle, hang on." Sam stopped her with a gentle hand to her shoulder. "So we don't have to discuss your sex life-"

This time, Isabelle joined Danny and Tucker in another loud groan.

"-But Vlad's still up to something, right?" Sam continued. "You guys said so yourself, he's been acting strange lately?" Isabelle nodded. "How so?"

"Well, a guy like Vlad… he never does something without having an ulterior motive to it. Right?" Isabelle thought about it for a moment. "Like, how he gave Valerie all her ghost fighting gadgets, just so Danny would have his hands full fighting her."

"Or how he invited us all to my dad's college reunion just so he could kill my dad and take my mom." Danny offered.

"Or the time he got you and your mom out of the house so he could kill your dad and your sister." Tucker added.

"Or the time he forced me and Jazz into a fight to the death." Danny continued.

"Okay, so I get the feeling your list will be longer than mine." Isabelle said to Danny. "Anyway, the question here is: what is Vlad up to now?" Nobody had an answer for her, so she continued. "We don't know. I'm going to start… uhh… 'snooping' really. See if I can't do some digging around whenever I'm over at his house- and don't you give me that look, Foley! You _know_ what I meant." The three children sniggered at her phrasing.

"Don't worry, I can help you out." Danny offered after he stopped giggling. "I've gotten pretty good at sneaking around and snooping when it comes to Vlad Masters."

"And I can hack his computer and search his files and browsing history for suspicious activ-" Tucker tried to add.

"No." Isabelle snapped, interrupting the techno-geek. "I don't doubt your abilities- any of you- but you're still kids! This isn't Scooby-Doo where you find out that the evil monster was just a guy in a mask the whole time. If something were to happen to any of you, it would be my fault. Vlad is _my_ responsibility… it's my job- my profession!"

"No offense, Belle, but we've been fighting ghosts, _and_ Vlad, for longer than you have." Sam told the older halfa. "You _may_ be better at it than you were when you first came to Amity Park, but you're restricted in what you can do. The Guys in White don't even know about Vlad or Danny do they?"

"Of course not!" Isabelle replied.

"And I'm willing to bet you keep a lot more secrets than that from them too." Sam continued.

"…Yeah. I mean- I can't tell them _everything_-"

"They would put a stop to a lot of the things we try to do." Sam agreed. "If they were in charge like they wanted to be, ghosts would have overrun the town a long time ago."

"What's your point?"

"We're basically your eyes and ears everywhere you can't be. And you, ours."

"No, I'm that to the Guys in White. Where could you possibly go that I can't?"

"The Ghost Zone." Danny offered.

"…okay point taken." Isabelle agreed. "But-"

"And Vlad is Danny's responsibility." Tucker added.

"Yeah, my parent's machine created him the same way it created me."

"…that may be, but it's irrelevant now." Isabelle insisted, beginning to take an authoritative tone. "_I'm_ going to look into Vlad's odd behavior, and you three are going to continue focusing on your studies like good teenagers." They didn't reply, instead fixing her with looks that said they were _not_ going to do that at all. But she didn't give them a chance to argue any further. "You _can't_ work with me on this. No excuses! Now, I'm going to lunch, you can join me or you can stay up here, I don't care." With that, Isabelle jumped over the edge of the roof and disappeared down the side of the building.

Even after the bell rang calling the kids back to class, Sam, Tucker and Danny stayed up there fuming. "How dare she try to tell us what to do." Sam scoffed.

"_Her_ responsibility?" Danny agreed. "We've been doing this for almost a year now and she expects us to just, roll over and quit because she asked us to? As if!"

"Okay, so, we're not leaving this up to her, right?" Tucker asked.

"Of course not." Sam answered. "She only said we couldn't work with her. Not that we couldn't do our own thing, and even if she did- she's not the boss of us!" Sam ground out, still fuming from having been ordered about.

"Agreed." Danny said.

"So, Vlad's been acting nice?" Tucker asked. "Definitely suspicious."

"True… or, maybe Vlad…" Danny trailed off, but Sam seemed to pick up on it.

"What? Finally had a change of heart?" She asked incredulously.

"You never know." Danny replied, hiding a knowing smile as he levitated his two friends to the safety of solid ground and they made their way back to class. "Maybe he just needed a little _push_."

oOo

_A.N.: Thank you for reading. As always, please leave a review or criticism, let me know what you thought about the chapter, and what I might need to work on or change to make it better. It lets me know someone cares. ^_^_


	28. Chapter 28 Small Step Forward

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

Sorry this is short compared to my usual.

oOo

About a week after their conversation, and she still had no news on Vlad. She had seen him three times that week, and there had been no suspicious activity. She followed his signature into the laboratory that friday night, and found him haunched over a workbench with his back to her. Without looking up he said "Hang on a second."

As she started to move closer to see what he was working on, he seemed to quickly finish what he was doing and started putting everything away. He turned to face her and immediately said "We're going to the Ghost Zone."

"Again?" She groaned. "Because I think I've had enough of that place."

"You can't let one bad experience ward you off." He chided, ushering her further into his underground lair. "Besides, we're not going back to the garden."

"We're not?" She asked when they approached his portal. "Where are we going?"

When he was standing in front of the steel octagon that served as the doors to the portal, he turned smoothly on his heel and faced her with a mischievous grin. "It's a surprise." And with a flash of dark light, Plasmius stood before her, intimidating as ever, yet not imposing. "Please, assume your form."

"'Please'?" Isabelle repeated before her own rings changed her into Red. "I get a 'please' from you? What are you up to?"

"Nothing." He replied, his tone light. It should have worried her, but she wanted to know what he was planning. What he was hiding. Why were they going back? He had been wearing a slight but pleasant smile, but shook his head as if to clear his thoughts, then reached over to a panel with buttons and typed something into the console. Behind him, the steel doors slid apart with a quiet hiss, revealing a whirlpool of dark colors that was the Ghost Portal. Then, turning to back he held out his hand for her. "Shall we adjourn to another dimension?"

"Cute." She replied with a smirk, but took his proffered hand and they both stepped though the gate. Swirls of greens and black surrounded them as far as the eye could see. Purple doors littered the horizon in all directions. Once they were in the Ghost Zone, she slid her hand out of his grasp. "So, where is this surprise?"

Vlad held up his hand to show her the mapping device he had brought with them last time, after fiddling with it for a minute, turning in circles and mumbling to himself, he finally answered "This way." Then he placed his giant football in front of the entrance back to their world, and lead the way.

Being backs soon reminded her of the last time. Images that made her heart race in fear. She remembered something about him that made her curious. Shaking her head she said "So, I couldn't help but notice… you walk with this kind of.. practiced motion."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"Well, last time, in the garden, when we were sneaking around from the Minotaur- we were walking, and your footfalls barely make any noise."

"Ah.. 'practiced motion', yes I see." He said, finally turning slightly to face her as they floated through emptiness.

"How long have you been coming here?" She asked.

He turned his back to her again and didn't answer at first. Just as soon as Isabelle thought that he was acting like a child at such an honest question, he said "I guess about… fifteen or twenty years. Jack, Maddie- Danny's parents- and myself, we built a sort of prototype in our youth… I designed and built the one I have now _based_ on the one we built together."

"Was that how you received your powers?" It was a touchy subject for him, she remembered. But he had been crossing lines too.

"Been chatting with Daniel again?" He asked in a false light tone, though he did confirm her suspicions. "Yes. I spent the next few years in and out of the hospital while my body tried to stabilize the ghost DNA."

"You lost much of your life as a young adult." She concluded.

"I lost my youth to this curse." He corrected. This surprised her. Of all people, she would have thought Vlad would see his halfa status as a gift. An opportunity. Power.

"You think the ghost powers were a bad trade?" She asked timidly as they began to weave through and around purple doors.

"…No." He sighed finally, as if admitting it to himself too. "No, I like being half ghost. I just wish it hadn't come at such a cost, like for Danny."

"Like for me." Isabelle offered. When he gave her a sideways look she added "I was only in the infirmary for a few weeks after they… I don't know, injected me with the ghost gene?" She couldn't believe she'd just told him that. It wasn't any of his business! But to her surprise, she realized that he hadn't even asked. She'd given him the information because she had wanted too.

Vlad burst out laughing while she silently mused. "Ghost gene?" He repeated, but soon his laughing died and he had a serious look on his face. "I've never heard it put quite that way." He didn't press the subject any further.

She floated sideways with her hands behind her head as if lounging comfortably, though still following him though the Ghost Zone. "Are we almost there?"

"Almost." He replied after a quick glance at his Map-Maker.

She could see two small dots on the screen close together, moving toward another dot on the other side of the screen. "Is that us?" She asked, pointing to the two close together, the bracelet on her wrist seemed to grow heavier.

"Yes. And that-" He pointed to the third dot. "Is our destination."

"The surprise." She added.

"Precisely."

"Just so long as it's not an angry Guardian of some kind." He didn't reply, but she could see his smirk.

In the distance, a dark spherical cloud was approaching. Isabelle thought that they would go around it, but Vlad was heading straight toward it. When they got closer, she could see that it wasn't even a cloud at all. "It's an asteroid field." She realized.

"More or less." Vlad replied. "They're not asteroids though, just chunks of rock and plant, more like a hive really- well, you'll see in just a few moments."

As they approached the massive ball of islands, Isabelle began to understand what he'd meant. Each boulder was as large as a building or larger, and was covered in a variety of vegetation of many colors. It was like a kaleidoscope of tropical rain forests, islands and even deserts thrown in. They weaved through the blocks of dirt, dodging entire ecosystems as they bounced off or spun around each other in their zero gravity environment.

"Is there something in the center of this mass?" Isabelle asked noticing how the islands orbited lazily in rings around them. Becoming more and more dense as they approached the center.

"Yes." Vlad answered. "The surprise."

"Did I ever tell you that I don't like surprises?"

"You just did, but I think you'll be willing to make an exception for this when you see it."

When Isabelle began to lose sight of the light outside the sphere, she noticed another light coming from within. "What in the-"

"Red Spectre, may I present to you Pandora: The Inside-Out World." Vlad interrupted, as they rounded a rather large boulder.

"O-Oh my…" Was all she could say.

The sphere was hollow in the inside and there was an atmosphere. Miles of grass and trees were growing along the inner walls, the tops of the trees all pointing the the very center where- to her surprise- there was a small, but bright ball of light, that strangely resembled...

"It's a star!" She gasped in awe.

"It is." Vlad agreed. "A small one, but a star nonetheless."

There was a haze of clouds surrounding the star, scattering the light and bathing everything in a soft orange glow, with hints of pink and purple.

"The planet orbits the star," Vlad explained. "But at the same time, the star is the planet's core, and since there's no way for the sun to actually set or rise, it's constantly daylight here- or rather _in_ here. I guess the outside would be night."

"It's beautiful." She breathed, feeling privileged to have seen something like this. Knowing that she was most likely only the second human to see this. _Half human._ She reminded herself, but she was too mesmerized by the scenery to let her mood sour.

"It is a strange phenomenon. I found this by accident- I mean, I usually do- but I was so lost when I stumbled across this, I should think I wouldn't have ever discovered it if I'd been using my Plas- I mean… my mapping device."

After s beat, Isabelle glanced at him with a knowing smirk. "Did you name another of your devices after yourself?"

He sighed, groaned lightly before saying a forced "Yes. I'm not the only one. Jack names nearly everything he makes 'Fenton Something-or-Other'. I think Skulker does too. Why shouldn't I have the same privilege?"

"I didn't say you couldn't." Isabelle said, surprised that she genuinely giggled saying it. Lately tensions had all but ceased between them. "But seriously, what's it called?"

"…Plasmius Atlas." He finally answered.

Isabelle nodded. "For a device used to map the ghost world, I'd say it's fittingly named."

"Well thank you." Vlad said as he sat down against one of the many trees.

Not wanting to seem out of place, but curious as to why there were there, Isabelle plopped down next to him, sitting cross-legged. "So Boss, what are we here for?"

He gave a small smile. "Direct as always." He mumbled, though she heard it. "Honestly, nothing."

"Wha- We came out here for nothing?"

"Well I wouldn't say that-" He started to say.

"You literally _just_ did."

"Well yes, but I meant that I didn't come here to collect anything, if that's what you were asking." He elaborated. She only raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue. "I… I uh…"

His nervous actions sent red flags across her mind. A knot wound in her stomach and she tensed slightly, worrying about what he might say or ask.

He sighed and turned his gaze to the orange clouds floating lazily around the white star in a serene kind of dance. "Well for starters, this place is special for a few reasons. I thought you might appreciate it."

"I do." She admitted. "I've never seen anything like this. Actually, I've never seen anything like the things I've seen since coming to Amity Park."

"I don't doubt that." He replied after a moment, his attention returning to her. "I also… I wanted to remove that," he gestured to the wrist collar. " 'Wrist Collar' as you call it."

She didn't say anything, and for a moment he wondered if she even heard him. "You… what?"

"I wanted to remove the tagging device." He repeated. "The communicator, the tracker, the whatever you think of it as."

"The shock collar." She offered. His face darkened at that remark, and she swore she could see the other Vlad underneath his ghostly features. The human one. He sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry, Isabelle." He whispered. "I'm so sorry."

_A.N.: And I'm sorry. For taking as long as I do to update. I personally hate when authors take forever to update, or just never do and you have to wonder "Did they abandon it? Are the characters going to be in some sort of fanfiction limbo forever? NOOO!" Spring Break gave me a much needed break, so I plan to use it to work on my stories. Next chapter should have a nice little cameo, or rather a return cameo._


	29. Chapter 29 Pandora

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

Thank you to all my loyal readers and reviewers and favoriters and followers! I never expected any of my writing to gain any interest at all. Even if you all just turned out to be a single person over multiple accounts, I'm glad to even have the one!

As always, let me know what you think of the chapter, leave a review!

oOo

"I'm so sorry." He repeated. "For everything."

She stared quietly at him for a solid minute. He was hoping that she would say something, maybe even throw her arms around him in joy, but she seemed to be stuck in shock. So he continued with his apology.

"I know that my reputation tends to paint me an an unfavorable character." He swallowed a lump in his throat. She still hadn't moved. "And when we first met, I was… ah… a bit-"

"You were a total ass." She finally said in a quiet but firm voice.

"Yes, I was." Vlad agreed. "I've had a complicated couple of decades. You should have seen how I reacted when discovering that Daniel was also… after being alone for so long I-I just… I was desperate. And then you showed up and turned my whole world upside-down." The last bit earned him a small smile from Red. "Yes, I've been a total ass to you- to a lot of people, actually."

_And yet, lately you haven't been acting… anything. _Isabelle though briefly, though kept it to herself.

"And I don't want to be that person anymore." Vlad continued. "I don't want to be remembered as the bad guy."

"Why did you say it like that? Are you dying?" Isabelle joked.

"…Every minute of everyday." He replied and her smile immediately dropped. "I just mean.. it _feels_ like I'm constantly dying, and all anyone ever seems to see is this great big jerk. Everything I do ends up blowing up in my face or failing miserably- most of that I would attribute to Daniel interfering with my plans, though- and somehow he makes me out to be the villain!"

"No Vlad, what makes you the villain is that your plans usually involve trying to hurt people." She snapped back. "Or you try to rob them of their happiness which in turn, hurts them."

He considered this for a moment, then said "Yes. I do."

She had expected him to snap back at her or blow up in a fit of rage for being challenged. His calm demeanor made her slightly scared. In her experience, a calm exterior usually meant a furious rage was hiding under the surface. What unsettled her was that she could see no trace of anger in him at all. Only resigned acceptance.

"Do you like hurting people?" She asked, completely serious.

"No, I don't _like_ to hurt people. I just… don't care to."

"Yes, I can see that." She said, hating that her voice broke slightly, betraying her emotions. When he heard her falter his eyes snapped up to hers again, and she tried her best to school her features, calling on her training. But it was hard. She could lie to most people very easily, mostly because she didn't know them, and they didn't know her. Tracy could see through her- it was part of _her_ training- more than most people. Being her best friend helped a lot though. She had been the first person Isabelle had opened up to in a long time. The only other person to always see through her was…

And just like that, all the things she had managed to repress from the trauma that was Will Kraine, came rushing back. All the things she hadn't been able to deal with properly at the time. She had tried to move on, she wanted the Guys in White to believe she was still fit for work. And they'd let her, knowing that she probably wasn't. That's why Tracy had been assigned with her- to catch her when she finally broke down. But Tracy wasn't here. The one and only person she didn't want to show weakness to, was about to see her fall apart!

_You will not cry._

He was talking again, a slight attitude to his voice, staring at his hands. "Look, I know I'm not exactly… the _nicest_ person, and I probably never have been either."

A memory flashed to her. William's attempted break up. Right before she nearly killed him. She'd known he was lying then.

"But I've… I've changed lately." He continued. "I haven't bothered Daniel or his family in a while. I don't even _want_ to anymore." He glanced up to say "They haven't concerned me in months." but his eyes dropped back to his hands, which were clenching and twisting nervously.

_I can't tell when you're lying to me._ She thought, her breathing becoming shallower and a tear slipped past her lashes. _You will not cry._ She repeated, taking a deep breath.

"Ever since I saw you transform- ever since I knew you were like _me_- I… I haven't been concerned with anything else. I haven't been able to focus, I couldn't sleep properly for weeks. I wanted to know more about you."

"What did you want to know about me?" She whispered so that her voice couldn't betray her again.

"Oh, everything I could learn." A smile crept onto his lips and again she saw the human Vlad in him. The one that he hid from the world so much The one that could be caring when he wanted, or sweet. The one that she had accidentally fallen for at some point. "I wanted to know where you came from, what your powers were, what you could do!" The way his eyes lit up when he spoke like this, she really wanted to share his enthusiasm.

_I want to trust you._ "If our status as half-dead is the only thing you see in me then we won't really have much in common. Actually, we already don't so there's that." _Push him away._

"Well, to tell you the truth, I.. uh.. I was… attracted to Isabelle Alexander, long before I knew that she was the Red Spectre."

_You mean that she was me._ She wanted to bite back, but couldn't bring herself to say it. They were one and the same, and she needed to finally accept it.

"If you'll recall," He added. "I once stole a kiss from her… as Plasmius." As they were now.

For some reason that memory made her lose the little control she had had over her emotions. The rest of the tears escaping down her cheeks. She was managing not to sob. For now anyway. _That was when he gave me my ghost name._

Vlad happened to glance up again and see this. "What…" He reached out hesitantly, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head and covered her mouth with a hand, trying not to shake from the sobs she was holding back.

"Was it something I said?" He asked. Worry etched into his features.

"I don't-" she choked before she could finish, but she needed to tell him, and on the second try managed to say "I can't trust you, Vlad… you lie and manipulate and it…" And it nearly broke her heart to watch his face fall. Crushed. _He's faking it_. But she could be sure.

"I know." He said softly. "I mean I had hoped…" He trailed off, not finishing his train of thought. Instead he shook his head and reached out with his other hand, carefully took her hand in his, and to her surprise, removed the bracelet. She watched as he turned her wrist up, and placed his thumb on the metal. It beeped once and part of it broke away- revealing to be a clasp- and he slid the shackle over her hand leaving her arm bare.

The world suddenly seemed too bright. Like somebody had turned up the saturation on all the colors, the world- or rather Ghost Zone- was suddenly in high definition. She couldn't breathe suddenly. She couldn't think. Her chest felt tight and painful. She could feel herself getting worked up. _STOP IT!_ But she couldn't calm down. She slipped out of her ghost form, not even sure if she'd meant to do it or not, and surprising Vlad.

"I've done such terrible things to you." He breathed quietly before repeating "I'm so sorry."

"Please don't." She said between shallow breaths. _Don't apologize! Don't you dare throw those empty words at me!_

"Don't what?" He didn't understand.

"You make it so hard for me… for me to… " _To concentrate, to trust, to reason, to see truth._ Even in her human form she was burning up, and beginning to hyperventilate. _…Oh, god… I can't breathe! I don't want to be here-I wish I'd never come to Amity Park!- I miss my parents!- I don't want to be a ghost anymore!_

"I know." He repeated. "And I'm sorry." She was beginning to hate those words. She'd always hated apologies. They were- in her experience anyway- always fake. A ruse to earn her forgiveness so that the person could simply repeat their offense again. But she couldn't tell if his were, and she wanted so bad to believe that he meant it. "I've done a horrible wrong to you, and I just want to make it up to you, somehow, if you'll let me… please don't cry, Isabelle."

She managed to pull herself together, and took another look at the bare spot on her wrist where the device had been. A slight tan line. _It worked, Tracy._ She thought bitterly. _He fell for me, and now I'm free._ It should have felt better. She should have run away as soon as he'd removed it, but she stayed put and it made her sick to realize that she'd fallen too. To admit it to herself.

"This wasn't exactly how I planned this trip going." Vlad admitted.

"I know. I messed it up." Isabelle said, still trying to calm down. "I'm sorry."

"_You're_ sorry?" Vlad exclaimed in disbelief. When she looked up to him, eyes still watery, he reached over and pulled her into a hug. "Honey, no." He said, very out of character. "No, _you_ did nothing wrong."

"You don't know that." She managed to laugh, and in her peripheral vision, saw him smirk too. They sat that way for a while. Maybe twenty minutes, maybe an hour, but in reality probably only five. Her breathing slowed and her anxiety waned. _Did I just have a panic attack?_

She could hear a dull hum in Vlad's chest. His ghost core she assumed. Warm and pulsing with his strange ecto-energy. Listening to it made her relax. Made her feel sleepy even. She was suddenly so comfortable, being held by him and listening to his core pulse. It was so calming, and rhythmic. Almost like a purr. "It _was_ nice… by the way." She whispered, staring again at the orange glowing clouds that covered the star in the distance. "Thank you for showing me this."

"Of course." He replied after a moment. "But maybe we should go soon. Go home, have some tea or something."

"That sounds nice." She agreed quietly.

They stood and she changed back into Red, then navigated their way back through the asteroid crust of the inside out planet. She noticed that on his device, she was no longer represented on the map. Just him now.

Neither said a word, even when a some point his fingers laced into hers. He had just helped her up from one of the rocks, and simply didn't release her hand. She only offered a small smile, as they floated through the green and purple atmosphere. Something big had just happened and neither could offer an explanation as to what. Something had changed between the two- they both felt that- but trying to bring it up now, or understand it, might ruin the fragile connection they just made.

So when Vlad finally spoke "Let's try to avoid that." She didn't know what he was referring to, having been lost in thought. She turned her attention to where he was looking and saw, a funnel. Or rather, it was a tornado. A very large one made up of dark clouds and debris. Thunder roared and lightning spewed from it at all angles. They watched as the clouds around it were sucked into the cone, adding to its size which was growing at a frightening rate.

"Agreed." Was her short reply. But as soon as she said it, they watched in horror as the twister began coming toward them. The closer it got, the better they could see just how immense it was. The wind around them picked up quickly forming a loud roar. Vlad's grip adjusted to her wrist and tightened.

"Just stay close to me." He yelled over the wind. But anywhere they tried to go to avoid one, two more seemed to sprout in their way. They were surrounded in the worst way possible. More and more tornados formed and combined, until everywhere they looked they saw nothing but turbulent debris.

"VORTEX!" Vlad yelled, though Red wasn't sure why. The wind changed suddenly and before either of them could register what was happening, they were in the center of one of the tornadoes. Spinning violently, clinging desperately to each other. "Don't let go!" Vlad ordered, and she felt his grip on her wrist slipping. She reached for his arm- missed- tried again and barely managed to grasp the fabric of his sleeve.

"Vlad-"

"Don't let go!" He repeated, even as their grips slipped again.

She didn't even feel him slip from her grasp. One moment he was right in front of her- his glowing red iris' only a few inches from hers- and the next, she was tumbling through open space, too fast and to violently to stop herself. She crashed through something wooden, and managed to spot a door, flung from their collision as it flipped over a few times. She hit another, and another. It hurt like hell but the impact was slowing her down. When she finally rolled to a stop on a small island-like asteroid, she looked back the way she'd tumbled from… And couldn't even tell where she'd come from. Everything looked exactly the same in all directions. Nothing recognizable was in sight. No tornadoes, no lightning or thunder. And no Vlad.

Once again she was stuck in the Ghost Zone and she was completely lost and alone. First she took a few minutes to recover. Her spine hurt, her head was ringing, and she was certain that she'd managed to break at least one of her ribs. Then she took off slowly in the direction she hoped she'd come from. With any luck Vlad was faster to recover and was already looking for her too.

oOo

She must have been going in the wrong direction, because after a hour or so of flying in a straight line, carefully as to not jostle her aching body, she didn't wind up running into Vlad. But she did find something familiar. Clockwork's clock tower loomed on the horizon, and as soon as she recognized what she was seeing she was slightly relieved. Maybe Clockwork would help her find her way back. When she finally landed on the main island, she almost fell to her knees at the pain of supporting her own weight.

_I must be worse off than I thought._ She realized as she entered the building and slowly ascended the stairs to the inner workings of the giant clock. When she entered the main room she didn't see anyone in sight. She saw the screen that played events from time. She was startled to see that Vlad and herself were onscreen, she in her human form and he in his ghost one. She couldn't tell where but could see their faces- in fact, almost _just_ their faces. Neither one looked happy. In fact, both of their expressions were pained. Inches apart, and her arm slung around his neck in a way that suggested he was carrying her. _Is that in the future? Is something wrong?_ They were each looking into the others' eyes, faces scratched up- her bottom lip split and bleeding, one particularly deep cut underneath one of his eyes, across his cheekbone. It was bleeding green instead of red like hers.

"I told you we would be in touch." A familiar voice said from all directions.

"Clockwork." She called out to the ceiling and walls. "I need your help. I was traveling through the Ghost Zone-"

"I already know." He interrupted "And I already know what you're going to ask and I can't really help you. I'm not a doctor." He appeared from between some support beams and approached her.

Hearing this, she nodded and eased herself to the floor next to one of the beams. "Is there a reason I'm here, then?"

"Yes. I have some questions to ask you, and a few things to tell you as well." He replied, aging and changing in appearance the entire time. When she didn't say anything, he continued. "You've been around the halfa Vlad Plasmius for some time now, I'm curious how you feel that is going."

"You want to know about Vlad and me? Really?" She asked incredulously. When he simply nodded she said. "We're great. Just peachy. Why?"

"That's good to hear, good to hear." He turned to the monitor where the two halfas were on the screen. He was silent for a moment before he said

"I've already told you about the upcoming threat haven't I?"

"The what?! No. You haven't said _anything_ to me. What's going to happ-"

"Well no matter, that's not important right now. What I need _you_ to focus on now is finding Dani Phantom."

Red only stared at him, confused. "Isn't he probably at home right now?"

"Not Daniel Phantom. Danielle Phantom. She is Danny's cousin and a halfa as well-"

"There's _another _halfa?!"

"Please don't interrupt. This will go faster if you can hold your questions."

"Do you mean to tell me there are _four_ halfas? It seems like there's another one every time I turn around."

Clockwork chuckled. "You don't even know the half of it."

"Cute." She said. "But tell me about Dani, where did she come from? How is she a halfa too?"

"I think you should be asking someone else about that."

"Who should I ask?"

"Vlad Masters. The man who created her."

She stared confused again. A little panic too. "And by 'create' you mean…?"

"Ask Masters about it. Chances are he will tell you the truth, but only if you're just as truthful with him."

"You're worried about _me_ being truthful to _him_?" She snorted.

"He will have questions." Clockwork said, appearing very close to her so that she could see how serious he was. "Questions you will not want to answer."

"Like what?"

"I can't tell you, but you'll find out soon enough. Just remember to be truthful, and he will too."

She thought about this for a moment, but ultimately decided to file that away for later. "Okay so how do I find Dani Phantom? Why do I need her?" _just who is she? Danny's cousin? So are they the same age or what?_

"We need her because the threat I mentioned earlier is preventable, but the solution is only possible if all four halfas are working together."

"What, like Voltron or the Power Rangers?"

"If it helps you understand, yes." He sighed, sounding annoyed.

"Well, where is she? Where can I find her?"

"Don't worry about that. The two of you will meet in due time. For now you only need to ask Masters about her."

"So what is that about?" She asked, pointing to the monitor. "What's happening there."

Clockwork simply waved his staff at the screen and the monitor turned off like an old television. "That is nothing for you to concern yourself with."

"Is that something in the future?"

"It is a possible event, so yes and no."

"…What?"

"All futures are possible until they are present, then they've already happened." Clockwork explained.

"Okaay.." Red said, not really following.

"Until then, though, all possible futures are simultaneously happening and not happening. But this is all information your human scientists have already written about and you can research it for yourself when you get back to your world."

"Are you kicking me out?" Red asked, worried.

"Sorry, but I do have things I need to do, schedules to keep to. And you need to be leaving soon anyway. When you walk out of here, turn left and fly straight. Eventually you should run into Plasmius. But you must hurry."

"Why do I need to hurry?" Red asked as she painfully climbed to her feet.

"You might miss him, or run into danger. Really, anything could happen."

She walked out as fast as she could, and upon exiting the clock tower, immediately turned left- the way she'd flown in from she realized- and flew straight into the horizon.

It was hard to maintain speed. She was sore and tired, and didn't have the stamina to keep up a fast flight. She was barely holding her ghost form as it was! Sharp pains ran up her slide every time she moved her torso, and she felt like someone had kidney-punched her. Nevertheless she managed to stay floating at least, and going in a straight line. Her eyes were on the horizon the entire time, hoping to spot Vlad any minute now. She actually found herself wishing that he'd delayed the removal of her tracking device. At least then she wouldn't have been lost in ghost space!

Eventually she spotted a figure far ahead of her, and in her excitement, ignored her training and made a beeline for the person. It wasn't Vlad like she was hoping- though he was dressed slightly similar. Actually, for a moment she thought she was looking at one of the Guys in White. But while he was wearing a sharp white suit, it was obvious- to her anyway, now that she was trained to spot these things- that this particular guy in white was actually a ghost. He was wearing a black fedora hat and when he turned around to face her- probably having sensed her approach- she could see that he had ghostly glowing green eyes.

She was about to ask the ghost if he could help her find her way somehow, but before she could say anything, he sneered, and in a thick southern drawl said

"Trespassing in an unauthorized area… that's against the rules."

_A.N.: Ooohhhh snap! Warden in the house! _

_I can't say for sure how many more chapters there will be, but I'm getting pretty close to finishing this story. I didn't want to do more than 30 but I know I'll have to go over to make a convincing enough ending._

_As always, please, please, pretty please leave me a review, let me know what you think, if I can make it better somehow._


	30. Chapter 30 Ghost Cores

**Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.**

oOo

When the world stopped spinning so violently, Vlad was able to survey his surroundings better. He was still surrounded by tornadoes… and Isabelle was nowhere in sight. His eyes darted around frantically but saw nothing. She was gone, and now that he had no way to track her, she was effectively lost. Looking around he spotted a green spectre- and immediately charged at it, latching onto its shoulders.

"I'm going to kill you, Vortex!" Vlad snarled to the ghost, gripping the front of his black shirt. _You'd better hope she's alright!_

"Plasmius!" The weather ghost snarled back, pushing the halfa away from him. "You have some nerve showing your face to me!" Around them, the tornadoes, the wind, everything slowed down, as Vortex calmed his powers. "I have a score to settle with y-"

"To hell with your wounded pride, you idiot! Do you realize what you've done?" Vlad interrupted, still looking everywhere for any sign of her. He was pretty sure he knew which way she was thrown- opposite of his direction- but the fact that she was nowhere to be seen led him to believe that she wasn't able to break her own fall. Maybe she couldn't even fly, he didn't know, and it was bothering him. "She's gone, maybe hurt and it's _your_ fault!" He snapped, floating back toward Vortex, pointing a finger at him accusingly. "So you will help me find her!"

"You do not order me anymore!" Vortex said, powering up the wind around them in an attempt to dominate their argument.

_I don't have time for this shit! _Vlad roared at him in reply. A cry of frustration, no words. The scream startling Vortex, as he knew Vlad, and this was out of character. "I don't care! I have to find her!" He snapped. Then, as if noticing him for the first time, he said "Weren't you incarcerated the last time I heard?"

"No thanks to you and Phantom." Vortex replied. "But I escaped, for no prison can hold me!"

Vlad grabbed the front of his shirt again, forcing Vortex to look at him. "Isabe-… Red Spectre- have you heard of her?"

"The other halfa?" Vortex smirked. "I'm well aware of her power- the Thunder people and I are well acquainted, but I've never met her bef-"

"You know her," Vlad interrupted, trying his hardest to speed along this stupid situation. "Your damn tornadoes threw her to who-knows-where, and now she's probably hurt and I can't find her."

This actually seemed to bother Vortex. "Calm yourself Plasmius. I will help you find Red Spectre, but not because you asked me to." He told the halfa. They were still kind of enemies, he thought. "In fact I need to tell her more about her lightning powers. She'll want to learn-"

Vlad took off in the direction he thought she had flown and the weather ghost followed mumbling about asshole ghosts. Vortex knew a lot about what Vlad came to know as the Thunder people. And in the hours that passed, he had plenty of time to listen to Vortex ramble on and on about the people gifted with electric powers. _This really _is_ a great opportunity to learn more about her powers,_ Vlad thought. _But where _is_ she? We should have found her by now._

They'd found evidence of a recent disturbance- indicating that she must have flown this way- but she was still nowhere. "This isn't working! She could be anywhere!" Vlad growled, running his hands through his scalp.

"We're headed in the right direction." Vortex said.

"How do you know?"

"I can sense the electric pulse her core," Vortex replied. "Another perk of her having an elec-"

"Have you been doing that this whole time?" Vlad growled, letting Vortex take the lead.

"Yes." He replied simply.

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't ask." He replied. _Idiot._

_He's such a moron._ Vlad thought as he pinched the bridge of his nose. _But thank god for him right now, or I might never have found her. _Vortex went back to spouting all the information he knew about electric cores.

"And _some_ of them can develop ice _and_ fire powers as well-"

"Vortex," Vlad interrupted. "Not that this isn't interesting, but don't you think you should save this for Red, when we find her? I'm sure she'll want to hear all about it."

oOo

"Trespassing in an unauthorized area… that's against the rules." The ghost said in a deep southern drawl.

"I'm sorry to bother you… and to break the rules," _Whatever they are._ Isabelle thought. "But I was wondering if you could help me? I'm lost… and in a considerable amount of pain right now."

The ghosts smirk became more sinister. "My name's Walker, and you're on my turf punk." He floated closer, looming over her smaller form. "I could have you locked up a long time just for that."

"I'm sorry." She repeated. "I didn't know there were rules to this world."

"There are rules to _every_ world!" Walker laughed.

"And I didn't mean to break any-"

"But you did, and ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it."

"My name is… it's Red Spectre. I'm kinda new to this whole 'ghost' thing." She admitted, shying away slightly from his proximity, already sensing the danger this ghost posed. "I've only been here in the Ghost Zone a few times before- a-and usually on accident!"

"So, you're Red Spectre." He mused, ignoring her ramblings. "We've heard a bit about you- haven't we boys?" He called to the atmosphere around him, and for the first time, she noticed that they were not alone.

Surrounded.

_Actually, _I'm_ still alone._ She realized fearfully._ He's just got a ton of friends with him. _"You've heard of me?" She asked.

"Word travels, especially when it's of a troublemaker such as yourself."

"Troublemaker? What have I done that's so bad?" She snapped, and before Walker answered, he and his goons shared a good chuckle.

"You've been known to hang around the outlaw Danny Phantom." Walker said with a knowing smile.

"Yeah but I just go to school with-"

"What is our policy on that?" He interrupted, though his question wasn't directed at her.

One of the many ghosts in uniform surrounding them answered. "Guilty. By association."

"So, you see," Walker said. "You have been breaking the rules for a while now."

"That's not a real thing to charge someone with." Isabelle cried, trying to back away from him, and panicking as she was cornered.

"We're going to have to take you in."

"Wait, you can't arrest me… I-I'm a federal agent!" She tried. "I work for the United States Paranormal Intelligence Association with the Guys in Wh-"

"Regardless." Walker interrupted again, still moving in. "You're out of your jurisdiction here."

_It was worth a shot._ "Then I guess…" _I'm going to have to save myself here. _"You can go fuck yourselves." She said, before opening a force field around herself, pushing the closest ghosts roughly away from her. The move caught them off guard and gave her the chance to make her escape. She was tightly surrounded but if she was incredibly lucky, she could slip her way out without having to fight. But she was not known for her luck. She was able to get away from Walker and the ones that had been closest to her, before the whole group recovered and tried to swarm her from all sides.

To her surprise, she was able to evade them easily despite their numbers. Something about how they were attacking seemed familiar. _Vlad's training. _She realized, remembering an exercise where he would make a dozen or so duplicates of himself for her to fight off. Vlad was actually must faster than Walker and his men, but while it was definitely easier to fight more people who were less experienced, the odds balanced out in the fact that they would still beat her by their sheer numbers. _Too bad he never taught me how to make clones._ She thought bitterly as she twisted out of the way just in time for two ghosts to slam into each other instead of her. Even though she was hurt badly, she was managing to evade their attacks. She had to keep on her toes though, they were starting to close in-

She turned to dodge one and saw two more. Turned again and saw more ghosts.

Trapped!

In a panic she began shooting ecto blasts, managing to catch two off guard again, and barely slipped past them- one grabbed her foot as she passed but she slipped out of his grasp- only to immediately be surrounded on all sides again! There were so many. She tried to open a force field again, but they were ready for it this time, backing away or bracing away from it. Some were even pushing against it, and to her surprise they broke through. She was quick to shoot them down though, one quick blast to the center of each of their chests. They wouldn't be down for long but it didn't really matter as they were quickly replaced by more.

Fire erupted over her shoulder, burning up the side of her neck. She realized they were firing at her. Another ectoblast scorched across her chest.

The panic kicked up another notch and she tried to open another field, but instead of a force field that pushed everyone away from her, red bolts of lightning shot out from her in all directions, zapping anyone within ten feet of her. The four closest ghosts actually evaporated after being hit, while others a little further out simply turned limp and floated lifelessly. When they saw this, the rest of the mob and even Walker stopped.

_Not what I meant to do but whatever._ She thought as she took a defensive stance, hoping she didn't look as beat up as she felt. _I'm not going to last much longer. I haven't had time to heal from my _first_ mess._

"Watch out, boys." Walker said to his group, though there wasn't an ounce of fear to his voice. "This kitty's got claws." He held up a hand and began powering what she assumed was an ecto blast. But to her surprise, the ghost also began to grow in size, until Walker was towering over the whole crowd like a skyscraper.

"Heh, and I thought you were tall before." Isabelle said, trying to mask her fear with humor. "Come to think of it, I believe I _have_ heard of you, Walker."

"Do my powers precede me?" He laughed, taking a swing at her, but she dodged, evading two other ghosts as well.

"Not exactly." She laughed, blocking a punch, and ducking from a kick to her temple. "I heard that you recently had a massive security breach at your prison."

The remaining guards were starting to corner her again, this time against the giant billboard that was Walker. Something clasped loosely around her wrist, and to her shock she saw that someone was in the process of cuffing her. Seeing a metal shackle back on her arm so soon was the last straw of her sanity. There was no way she was about to be under someone's thumb again, not after gaining her freedom recently after so long.

Later she wouldn't completely remember what happened next- how she received her injuries or how many she'd evaded- only that she was effectively blinded by a mix of fear and rage, and that she was lashing out at everything around her. And it was _working_! Now that she wasn't dodging anymore, she was starting to get hit, but she didn't even feel it. They couldn't hit as hard as she was right now. _You shouldn't corner a tiger!_ She thought as she viscously ripped through a ghost, only to immediately move on to another opponent.

She had gone through nearly half of them by now, incapacitating most of those, others getting back up to fight her again. _The fools._ She smirked. This was too easy suddenly. Fear was a useful motivator, though not one she wanted to make use of regularly. _This is better than therapy!_

Just after she had released another one of her red lightning bolts- arm outstretched, pointing to the vapor that remained of her recent target- when a strand of something glowing bright green show out and wrapped tightly around her right arm, form her wrist to her elbow. With a sharp yank she was pulled off balance and went tumbling. Before she could even right herself in the air, she felt another one of the ecto ropes latch onto her, this time around her neck. _What's the point of intangibility if I can't even phase through this shit?!_ She wondered as she tried to loosen the one around her neck with only one hand.

More ropes slapped against her, wrapping her arms tightly against her torso and constricting like it was a radioactive python. She jumped up to kick a ghost only to have the ropes cut her strike short and send her flying back. She got up again and kicked again, this time sending a bolt of lightning from her toes. Her foot was snagged, and pulled out from under her.

Caught!

Her ribs began to hurt worse than before as the ropes kept constricting. She couldn't expand her lungs to breathe, and the one around her neck was surely cutting off her bloodflow. (Ectoplasmflow?)

They were closing in now, and their sinister looks made her fear what they had in store. There was only one thing a person could do when they were down and severely outnumbered. Being tied up would make it hard to protect her head though.

She curled up into a tight ball in order to make herself less of a target, and put her head between her knees to protect it as best as she could. She remembered that at least, but only because it made her sick to feel so helpless. She had time to think before the first boot landed on her side, _This is going to be worse than getting my ass kicked in high school._

oOo

"Up ahead, look!" Vortex exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the horizon.

Red lightning. He had only ever seen it once before, but he knew what it meant. He also knew that it meant she was probably in trouble, since she seemed to only use it as a last resort.

"That sent shivers down my spine!" Vortex mused gleefully.

"I think she's in trouble." Vlad said, picking up his speed. "Be prepared to fight." He didn't know if Vortex would help him _that_ much, but he hoped he would still do this for Isabelle.

"Trouble? What do you mean?" The weather ghost asked, used to displaying his powers for fun more often than to protect himself.

Before Vlad answered, more lightning sparked, so bright that they had to squint against it when it flashed. He picked up his speed, flying as fast as he could as the thunder rolled past them. When he was close enough that he could see the situation, it took him a second to realize what was happening. He could see the crowd of ghost cops- even recognizing that they were Walker's boys- and saw that they were having a stand-off of some sort. But he couldn't see who they were fighting or how many. As he got even closer, he was surprised to see that they were all attacking one point.

_All of them are ganging up on one ghost?_

It was the final bolt of lightning that brought the horrible realization to him. For a split second there was a small gap between the ghosts and he saw her, posed in a perfect kick, but then she was gone again, surrounded. But he saw her attack, the red bolt cracking loudly through the air and zapping its target.

After her last attack they swarmed her like she was a quarterback with the football, and he teleported to where they were centered. Still couldn't see her, there were too many, and they were punching and kicking and he could only hope that the crowd was too tight for them to get any good shots in.

Three more Vlad Plasmius' appeared next to him, and together they began roughly snatching up the cops and throwing them aside, delivering kicks and punches of their own as they saw fit as they pushed the crowd back on all sides. A fifth Plasmius appeared to tend to Red while the first four guarded them.

"Oh, God!" He exclaimed when he saw her laying tied up in her human form. "What've they done to you?"

He went to turn her over on her back and she flinched when he grabbed her, expecting another blow. When instead, the hands pulled her up she opened her eyes to find the exact person she wanted to see, she managed to smile. "Vlad." but her voice was barely a choked whisper.

Immediately he began to pull the ropes from her body. They easily phased through her now that she was human, and once she could breathe again she grabbed onto the front of his tunic, pulling him closer to her. "I'm so glad you're here." She said a bit louder than before. "I thought they… I thought I was going to-"

"Shh.." He pulled her into his arms as he stood up again. "It's okay, I'm here."

Around them, clones of him battled Walker's men, and one was even going toe to toe against Walker himself, all the while Vortex's tornadoes were sucking up enemies.

"Back off Plasmius, the girl is in my custody now." Walker growled as the Vlad clone attacked him relentlessly, keeping the warden on defense.

"You know I don't care about your absurd rules." The clone snapped back. "I'm taking her with me back to the human world, where she belongs."

"You always did think you were above the law, punk."

"If you think you can stop me, be my guest." Vlad, the one carrying Isabelle, sneered, as the last of Walker's men fell. The clones disappeared, and so did Vortex.

Walker glared at Vlad for a moment. Having a mental stand off of some kind, and Isabelle was afraid he would try to attack them again. She looked up to Vlad, whose dark glare was fixed attentively on the ghost warden, his body suddenly seemed to be made of cold shadow. He looked so intimidating that even she was slightly afraid of him.

_This must be the Vlad that Danny always sees._ She realized. _The villain._

Walker began to shrink in size until he was back to normal again. His glare remained but a sickening smile creeped onto his face. "You halfa's are more trouble that it's worth." He sneered to Vlad, then his gaze fell onto the human cradled in his arms. "Next time you won't have your friends to rescue you."

"Neither will you." She shot back in a hoarse voice. "Not that your lackeys were that much trouble."

Walker didn't reply, but his glare stayed fixed on her as he started to disappear. "Next time." His disembodied voice echoed around them after he was gone.

When Walker disappeared, she felt Vlad immediately relax, and looked up to see him looking normal again. "Are you alright?" He asked immediately. "I mean- no, of course you're not- how bad are you hurt?" He shifted his hold to rest her weight on his leg, lifting his free hand to her face. "What did they do to you?"

"I-I'm okay." She assured him. "I mean I'm hurt- yes- but it's not as bad as it looks."

"Are you sure?" Vlad's worried eyes searching her own.

"I don't know. How bad does it look?" She joked, and to her surprise he cracked a small smile causing her to smile back.

They sat that way for a moment, him cradling her in one arm on his lap, gently holding her face in the other hand, her curled against him. She blushed slightly as her gaze flickered between his eyes and his lips, he leaned a bit closer…

"Sorry I dipped out on you back there." Vortex announced as he reappeared next to the couple, scaring Isabelle who jolted. "But Walker is not a ghost to be crossed. I'm surprised he ran from you the way he did. You have my respect Vlad Plasmius."

"Vortex you coward." Vlad snapped after recovering from the jump scare, scooping Isabelle up with both arms again. He sighed heavily, then turned back to her. "Can you turn ghost?" If she could, she would heal faster. She straightened up, trying to stand, and wound up having to hold onto him while standing on his toes. The red rings appeared and transformed her back into Red.

"Yeah," She nodded. "I can. Who's this?" She gestured to Vortex, who introduced himself before Vlad could speak.

"I am Vortex, the perfect storm!" He announced proudly. "I control the weather and-"

"I remember you." She interrupted. "I got to see your work firsthand a while back."

"You know of my work?!" He asked excitedly. "I am truly humbled to be in your presence." He said as he bowed to her.

Red gave Vlad a questioning look. "What is he-"

He shook his head. "I'll explain later. Right now you need medical attention."

"…Do I really look that bad?" She asked, looking down at herself to see bright green ectoplasm splattered across her red jumpsuit.

"Don't worry." He said, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I'm going to fix everything." Then he pulled her back up into his arms, and led the way back to his portal, Vortex following close behind. She started to doze off and finally fell asleep at some point, listening to the dull hum of his ghost core.

oOo

_A.N.: I spent a while tweaking this chapter and I think I got it as close to the way I wanted as I could, though there are still some things I couldn't fit into the chapter so you'll just have to keep waiting._


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